listen to Saint Gregory his lesson Greg. 〈…〉 which is Iniustum est seruire diabolo qui nullo placatur obsequio We haue no reason to doe the Deuill seruice when nothing we doe can make him propitious He then that thus seekes heauen shall come as short of it as did those Carpocratian heretikes of whom Saint Austen August de haeres cap 7. who professedly taught the practise of all filthinesse that so by pleasing wicked Fiends in whose power they were they might be suffered to passe quietly without disturbance through their aery regions to the celestiall But for the true God God was much displeased therwith Deut. 12.31 Ier. 29.5 this kind of seruice could neither please him nor appease him he condemnes it here and elsewhere and his wrath was kindled against them for it verse 40. Yet might they say they intended nothing but well by it and if they erred it was an error of loue not loue of error seeing for his sake they spared not their dearest children Truth if Intentions without or against Gods word would excuse But will-wil-worship with disobedience is no plea at Gods bar Abrahams example doth not iustifie it Yet Abrahams zeale was commended true because it was coÌ„manded But Agamemnons was condemned because by the law Thou shalt not kill it was forbidden And was not Abrahams Yet is not the others zeale hereby warranted God who is aboue his Law tried Abraham by a special command dispensing with the general vnto which the other still stood bound as hauing no speciall Abraham obeyed while he disobeied if disobeyed not so the other Abraham was not blamed for his butchery but praised for his pietie A cult de ciuit 〈…〉 2â— saith S. Augustine Quòd voluit filiuÌ„ nequaquà m scelerate sed obedienter occidere Inasmuch as hee was ready to haue slaine his Son not scelerously but in obedience Abrahams readinesse being from diuine instinct is imitable of none who haue not the like Heroici motus non sunt imitandi Diuine and extraordinary motions are not to be imitated Wee are bound to the common rule but these diuine instincts are farre aboue it One particular Heroici motus sunt suprareâ—ulam saith Logicke is inferred proued or warranted by another onely where the cause and reason is alike in both but here the facts were not more like then the causes different But the truth is Abrahams obedience pleased God and not his sacrifice or rather his obedience was his sacrifice God is not delighted simply in our bloud no not of Martyrs but in our obedience whether actiue or passiue In Abraham wee see it Nam Deus qui iusserat vt id fieret Pet. Martyr in locis ne fieret prohibuit God who commanded the act yet forbade the acting of it Euen so though without iniury yea also iustly hee might require our bloud in ordinary sacrifice yet did hee require onely of the Iewes for it the bloud of beasts Thus both shewing them and vs our sinnes and death deserued by them and yet his readinesse to receiue an atonement yea the atonement of another for vs. Yet could not these outward sacrifices simply eyther appease his wrath as holding no proportion with the infinitnesse thereof or of our guilt or yet so much as please him without some better and more pleasing sacrifice August de ciuit Dei lib. 10. ca. Thus euen the Heathen Non boue mactato coelestia numina gaudent Sed quae praestanda est sine teste Fide Ouid. ep 19. Sacrificium enim visibile saith Saint Austen invisibilis sacrificij sacramentum hoc est sacrum signum est For the outward visible sacrifice is a sacrament that is a holy signe of an inuisible sacrifice If God then from thence smelled a * Gen. 8.20 Act. 20.28 Sauor of rest it was from the sacrifice of our Sauiour Christ For as it by the rest was typified so the rest by it were sanctified and accepted This hath so sufficiently alone reconciled God to vs and satisfied his iustice as being the shedding of the bloud of God that to offer any other eyther sacrifice or seruice or yet this againe to that end were as to derogate from the sufficiency thereof so to make God as implacable as we haue shewed the Deuill to be CHAP. III. An application of the former point THus haue wee seene Idolatry zealous though it reape no acceptance nor yet good fruit of its zeale Though it lose yet may wee gaine from it this profitable and vsefull consideration Idolaters more zealous in their kinde then the children of light That the children of this world are not onely more wise but more zealous also in their generation then the children of light Whose zeale therefore if it expell not our coldnesse shall condemne both it and vs. Religion sailes and holds her course betweene two dangerous rockes of Superstition and Impiety On the one side saith Plutarch In Camillo there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superstitious vanity on the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Negligence and contempt of heauenly things And such saith he is mans infirmity that keeping no bounds it is hurried sometime to the one and sometime to the other Both are euill but yet the second iustifies the first as Ierusalem did Sodome Superstition at the least in shew and pretence bordering nearer to true piety Wee may see and yet shame to see our selues so farre behinde the zealous affections and practises of Heathen Heretikes Idolaters and generally of the wicked Wee may see in Scripture Samaria doting on her louers Ezek. 23.5 Isa 57.5 or set on fire with them and the Iewes inflamed or inflaming themselues with Idols and yet our selues like Moah through our ease and long peace setled on our lees Ier. 48.11 Zeph. 1.12 and like Ierusalem curded and frozen in our dregs In my Text wee haue seene children sacrificed by their Parents to the deuill and yet see professed Christians vnwillingly if at all eyther to chastise their children doing amisse or to consecrate them to the seruice and honour of God or their Country yea impatiently to take their death when God himselfe cals them away Anno 1293. Apud Laps Monit Exe. polit Yet wee reade of one Alphonsus Peresius Gusmanus a Spaniard who holding the Citie Tariffa for the King his Master was threatned by the enemies that vnlesse hee yeelded vp the Towne his onely sonne whom they had taken should be miserably mangled in his sight No said hee betray my trust I will not for an hundred sonnes of mine if you had them and if you will needs doe it loe here is a sword and so casting his owne sword vnto them his sonne therewith was barbarously murthered himselfe nothing appalled thereat Strange also it is Idolaters zeale in not sparing themselues 1 Kings 18.28 what butchery men haue executed on themselues for the pleasing pacifying and honouring of their Idols You shall
languishing and decay there without speedy redresse and reformation Gods iust iudgements vsually breake in vpon those persons vpon that State and Common-wealth and layes all waste Thus were the Israelites by their Idolatry made naked among their enemies that is Exod. 32.25 27 28. destitute and depriued of God and his helpe and 3000. of them were slaine Thus were Corah and his complices for their sedition and schisme swallowed vp of the earth yea whole Israel for their prophanenesse and contempt of God and his Prophets added to their Idolatries suffered a fearfull slaughter and a long captiuitie of 70. yeares 2 Chron. 36.16 c. because they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedie 2. And so where Sensualitie filthy lusts and pollutions Drunkennesse and Gluttony are suffered without controlment and condigne punishment there destruction and vengeance hangs ouer the head of such a Citie For what brought fire and brimstone vpon Sodome and the cities about it but their sinnes of Pride fulnesse of bread Ezek. 16.49 and abundance of idlenesse which as mother-sinnes brought forth vnnaturall lusts and these being finished brought forth death which Cities giuing themselues ouer to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example Iude verse 7. suffering the vengeance of eternall fire 3. Lastly Iniustice whether vniuersall by violence tyranny rapacity fraud deceits wrongs contumelies or yet particular as when Magistrates doe not render to euery man according to his deserts or otherwise neglect to doe their duty brings all to ruine at the length August de Ciuit. Dei lib. 5. cap. 12 Thus Saint * Augustine notes concerning the ancient Romanes who were once Lords of the world The more they gaue themselues to the exercise of iustice c. the lesse they gaue themselues to their pleasures and to the increasing of their priuate estates The exercise whereof was according to Virgils a Tu regere imperio populos Romane memento Hae tibi erunt artes pâ—cÃque imponere morem Parcere subiectis debellare superbos Virg. memento Parcere subiectis debellare superbos namely to spare yea to fauour and incourage the good and humble subiect and to destroy and cut off the proud And then saith he the Common-wealth flourished when there was domi industria foris iustum imperium c. Industry at home iust and vnpartiall gouernment abroad c. But when that Common-wealth decayed the causes of it are noted in Catoes complaint b Pro his nos habemus luxuriam atque auaritiam publicè egestateÌ„ priuatim opulentiam Laudamus diuitias sequimur inertiam inter bonos malos discrimen nullum omnia virtutis praemia ambitio possidet neque mirum vbi vos separatim sibi quisque consilia capitis vbi domi voluptatibus hîc pecuniae ac gratiae seruitis Eò fit vt impetus fiat in vacuam Rempub. Postquam Luxu atque desidia ciuitas corrupta est rursus Resp magnitudine suâ— Jmperatorum atque MagistratuuÌ„ vitia sustentabat In stead of the forenamed things saith he we haue luxury and couetousnesse a poore Common treasury but richly laden chests at home We commend riches and follow idlenesse no difference is made betweene the good and the bad ambition inioyes all the rewards due to vertue And no maruaile seeing you euery one of you take counsell for your selues apart seeing you giue your selues slauishly to your pleasures and doe all for money or fauour Hence it fals out that euery one makes a prey and violently ceazeth on the poore and desolate Common-wealth And after hee addes When once the City of Rome was corrupted with luxury and sloth then did the Common-wealth with her greatnesse sustaine and maintaine all the vices of the Empeorors and Magistrates Saint Austen concludes that God gaue so large an Empire to the Romanes inasmuch as they sought the good of their Country and made that their glory preferring the good and safety of the Common-wealth before their owne And that then that Common-wealth flourished when vertue and industry flourished a Cùm Aerarium esset opulentum tenues res priuatae Aug vt supr when the Common-treasurie was rich but each priuate mans estate meane That all the forenamed vertues may receiue incouragement and furtherance and the contrary vices so far as they are be weeded out in this towne it belongs to your care Right Worshipfull who must still take your selues bound to vse your sword and authority against two sorts of men especially Enemies 1. of Truth 2. of Holinesse 1. Zeale for the truth of God is required in each Magistrate who must first truely and sincerely embrace the truth of Religion himselfe in his owne heart and bosome This may bee knowne where it is for it wil make such an one seeke by all meanes to further Religion in others and to seeke Gods glory Such a Magistrate of Gods more immediate appointing was Ioshua Iosh 27.16.17.18 2 Sam. 6.20 c. such an one was Dauid who brought backe the Arke and danced before it That indeed is the best musicke and pipe to dance after and the Magistrate the fittest man to lead the dance and such were all the godly Kings of Iudah Secondly he must set himselfe accordingly to abolish all idolatry 1 Kings 15 1â—.13 as did King Asa who remoud euen his mother from being Queen because she had made an idol in a groue which he also destroyed 2 Kings 18 4.5 and 23 4.5.6 And such an one was Hezekiah and Iosias Thirdly he must draw out the sword of iustice against Seducers as is commanded Deut. 13.6.7 c. as did Iehu â— Kings 20.25 who slew all the Priests of Ball. At the least hee must restraine them and keepe them from entring into the Lords Sanctuary and Inheritance Here the Magistrate must draw out his sword Gen. 3.24 and play the part of the Angell set at the doore of Paradise to keepe the way of the tree of life Psal 80.13 to keepe the wild Boare from entring Gods Vineyard As we therefore Gods Ministers do oppose our selues by teaching and as the Lords dogs and house-keepers by barking tell you of the approach of enemies so surely you must also awake and not suffer the house of God to be broken and digged through by theeues and robbers Iohn 10.10 who come not but to steale and kill and to destroy Either then shut your gates against such or expell them or bring the seduced to the curse Nehem. 10. â—2 and to the oath of allegiance both to God and to the Kings Maiestie You haue many very good lawes to this end Oh how much good seruice might you doe both to God and his Maiesty if you did wholly set your selues duly and vnpartially to execute the same at the least you might weary many of
peoples hands not suffering them ordinarily to be read or knowne in any vulgar language Perhaps it will be said The Bible is translated into English by Papists the new Testament by the Rhemists and the Old by the Dowists To which I answer Popish translations of the Bible in vulgar languages this indeed is done to bleare mens eies they are driuen to this shift necessarily to saue their credits to seeme to satisfie the people and that they might not be thought to be so terribly afraid of the Scriptures But to what good purpose is this done 1. Obscure It is first done obscurely SeeValles de sacra philos p. 73. whereby in the English they retaine diuers Greeke words as azymes c. 2. Corrupt Secondly it is done in many places corruptly and as it seemes seeing they cannot be so ignorant of the originall of purpose to establish popish opinions as Iohn 1.12 and Luk. 2.14 to establish freedome of will where in the first place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or power signifies not any power or ability of man but the right or priuiledge to become the sonnes of God And in the second it is not as they read it to men of good will but good will towards men which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that good pleasure of God whereby he freely accepts men to life by Christ The like might be shewed in other places as Psal 19.4 to proue the visibility of the Church but especially Gen. 3.15 where they render it She not It or He as doth Saint Ierome referring it to the blessed Virgin not to Christ the promised seed which shewes their blasphemy in corrupting the text and fountaine in maine fundamentall points 3. Called in Thirdly they haue indeed translated the Bible and yet I say not for all popish places and also for a while let some number of copies to be saleable at the beginning yet hauing by that meanes hushed that former clamour they haue called all vulgar Bibles straightly in againe Relation Sect. 34. yea the very Psalmes of Dauid though translated by their owne Preacher Pangorola as doubting else it seemes that their owne Bibles if ordinarily and by euery one read would make men hereticks as some blasphemously haue vttered Oh but haue you neuer heard of a booke intitled An Anker of Christian doctrine Anno 1618 newly published by Th. Wr. wherein as he would haue vs beleeue the most principall points of Catholique that is in his sence Romish Religion are proued by the onely written word of God Yes the first part concerning the Creed I haue seene where of 53. Articles few in expresse tearmes containe matter of controuersie others prosecute controuersall points which in the generall but not in the application we also acknowledge This Booke will bee of this vse not to cleare but to bleare the eies of the simple while they for the most part of them onely heare of such a booke not knowing or able to iudge how his promise is performed This way of triall as their last which should haue beene their first refuge they are now driuen to to proue Popery by Scripture Yet the Author very wisely for himselfe abandons not other proofes by traditions c. and indeed it concernes him so to doe that so when he shall finde Scripture to faile him he may haue recourse to these againe from Scripture which in effect he doth while he pretends the contrarie for as other Papists herein contrarie themselues while they indeauour to proue by Scripture the same things they hold tradition Doctor Feild of the Ch. lib. 4. chap. 20. as our writers shew against them so he vndertaking to proue by the expresse written word of God that other proofes are both necessary and authenticall which are his owne words in the preface pag. 7 when he comes to proue it in the place pointed to in his margine namely in the third Article he tels vs there in the beginning that indeed the controuersie of tradition may not be omitted in this place because not onely some other points of Christian faith namely that our vsuall Creed is authenticall doctrine but also the assurance which we haue of the whole sacred Bible dependeth especially vpon tradition c. What is this but to runne himselfe giddy in a circle to flye from tradition to Scripture and from Scripture againe to proue tradition which tradition must testifie of Scriptures and so round c. The maine waight of al his proofes then rests not on Scripture as he by his title pretends but on tradition into which mans faith must lastly bee resolued But to returne for all this late pretence of Scriptures made by one man the rest dare not trust their cause to the triall of Scripture onely vnlesse it be onely in their exposition and application of it which yet the very euidence of the words and truth in them will soone refell in any man of common vnderstanding who shall not bee blinded through preiudice but iudge euen by common reason and not by any priuate spirit For though reason cannot reach to the things contained in Scripture without a superiour illustration yet it can iudge of consequences and dependancies of points and whether such a point be rightly deduced or no from such or such a place This they know wel enough and accordingly feare wherefore their very common seruice among them as containing many sentences and passages of Scripture must be read onely in a strange tongue yea all of all sorts euen women and children must pray in Latine Nay in Italy it hath beene obserued that in their Sermons though they preach commonly on the Gospell of the day they do not read or any waies recite the text but discourse onely of such points as they thinke fittest that so no sound of Scripture might possesse the people Papists write and speake disgracefully of the Scripture To this purpose they also speake and write disgracefully of the Scripture saying it containeth not all things necessary to saluation charging it with imperfection saying it is but a piece of a rule and with obscurity calling it a nose of waxe Which they doe to make the people more willing to part with this treasure and to admit of their trash of tradition vnder the name of vnwritten truths deliuered by the Church by speech onely which Church now hath declared her mind in the Councell of Trent whereunto all those that are solemnly made Doctors in Italy must subscribe Thus they deale with the learneder and more curious sort who else looking into the fountaine of truth should finde but little agreement betweene it and the Romish doctrine As for the simpler sort they deale with them as wise men do with children who get some precious or good thing from them and giue them in stead thereof a counter or some toy so they in stead of Scripture giue them images as their bookes with many outward ceremonies and ornaments to gaze
bookes for 15. yeares together and after came to light and was by Iunius left as a gift and monument of their shame in the study of the Count Palatine of Rheine The Spanish Index was found first and discouered by our English in the taking of Cales Now by the direction of these Indices the ancient Fathers and first Authours are made to speake not their owne words and meaning but what the late Councell of Trent hath deliuered The bookes thus purged or rather polluted are often reprinted and these latter Editions onely authorized all other are disallowed called in consumed with threats added against all such as shall presume to keepe them And as thus they deale with the printed bookes so in likelihood they haue an Index for the purging of the manuscripts also for in the Vatican library at Rome Iames appendix to the aduertisement prefixed to his booke of the Corruption c. certaine men being maintained onely to transcribe the Acts of Councels or Copies of the Fathers workes they haue beene seene in transcribing to imitate the letters of the ancient Copies as neere as can be expressed In which copying out of books it is to be feared they adde alter and take away at the pleasure of their Lord the Pope The euent may proue it so herein dealing with and deluding the world as the Gibeonites did Ioshua with old sacks old bottles old shooes and garments wherein they are said to worke wilily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inâ—statia Iâ—sh 9.4.5 Now by all these meanes the triall of a questionable point in religion is like that triall of a Nisi prius at the common law where for witnesses are brought not good Free-holders Probi legales homines but base wanderers burnt in the eare for Rogues who know neither father nor mother â— With corrupting euen the Bible at selfe Corruption of Fathers part 3. or at the best bribed and corrupted But what if these bold bauds goe about to corrupt the Bible it selfe by adding detracting altering To make a little further vse of Doctor Iames this easily appeares by the infinite varieties contradictions oppositions which may be seene of any that shall compare two Bibles set forth by two Popes Sixt. 5. Clem. 8. and that within 2. yeares 1590. 1592. The second Commandement is also quite discarded out of their vulgar Catechismes which they communicate with the people and to keepe the number of ten the last is made two Now whereas both the shame of the world and also the power of God keepes them from daring to attempt vpon the text of the Bible it selfe yet see how neare they come it by corrupting the glosse and marginall note In the Bible of Robert Stephens vpon Genes 15.6 where the words are And he Abraham beleeued in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousnesse the note in the margent is Abraham fide iustus Abraham is iustified by faith yet these words which are all one with the words of the text euen as the Dowists read and translate them namely Abraham beleeued God and it was reputed to him vnto Iustice yet I say these words are commanded to be put our deleatur illud Abraham fide iustus Index Rom. pag 48. Rom. 4.3 Galat. 3.6 Iames 2.23 Index Rom. ibid And yet the authority of that place is vrged thrice in the new Testament So on Leuit. 26.1 they haue expunged the glosse or marginall note deleatur illud sculptilia prohibet fieri let this be put out say they God forbids the making of grauen images and yet God in the text forbids the making of them Lastly 1. Sam. 7.3 Samuel saith Prepare your hearts vnto the Lord and serue him onely the glosse saith in the margent Seruiendum soli Deo God only must be serued now saith the Romane Index deleantur illa verba SeruienduÌ„ soli Deo Index Rom. pag. 50. let these words be blotted out God only must be serued Hence iudge what they would doe to the Scriptures if they durst And thus we haue seene how by prohibiting and corrupting these diuine and ancient monuments they corrupt mens vnderstandings Yet this is not all To plant their errours they furtheâ— delude mens minds they haue other tricks of deceit and delusion whereby they not only supplant the truth but also plant their owne errours and make them passable Their next tricke then is to dazle the eyes of the simpler 4. With protestations of truth sort with Protestations of truth and swelling words of vanitie so that vnder pretence of preaching the Truth they supplant the truth Hilarie Antichrist saith a Father vnder colour 〈◊〉 preaching the Gospell shall be contrarie to Christ Euen so S Ambrose describes false teachers to be such as vnder the name of Christ Qu◠〈◊〉 nonum 〈…〉 preach against Christ so that the Lord Iesus is denied whilst men thinke he is preached And as the Deuils prophets of old tooke vpon them the glorious name of Prophets of God so seducers will be prophets of God and prophecie in the name of God though they so prophecie a lie and can with the true Prophets of God say Thus saith the Lord. Thus Nestorius though he were an Heretike yet could he couer himselfe vnder the vaile and shew of the Orthodoxe faith as said Theodoret of him and generally false prophets can vse the name of Christ to deceiue others thereby Ma◠〈…〉 concerning whom our Sauiour hath giuen vs a caueat saying Take heed that no man deceiue you for many shall come in my name and shall deceiue many In my name Some making themselues Christs and Sauiours some bearing my name not only of Christ but of Iesus some presuming to be my Vicars on earth some teaching lies and falsehoods in my Name and as my Doctrine Thus Iesuites yea the Pope himselfe shroud themselues vnder the name of the Lambe Mat 〈…〉 1 Ti◠〈…〉 but inwardly are rauening Wolues and speare â—iâ— the Dragon teaching indeed doctrines of Deuils This Whore of Rome giues out her false doctrines in a cup of gold Reâ—◠〈…〉 she hath in her hand Poculum Aureum Plenum Abominationum a cup of Gold full of Abominations where behold a Mysterie the initiall or capitall letters of these words written in the language of the Church of Rome whether casually or by speciall prouidence being put together are obserued to make vp the word Papa or Pope We may well compare the Deuill and all his instruments to craftie Pyrats who will hang out the same colours they will seeme to be what indeed they are not Thus the Arrian Heretikes of old bragd they only were Catholikes as for all the rest they called them sometime Ambrosianos sometime Athanasianos sometime Ioannitas So the Mahumetanes now though they deriue their pedegree from Agar the bond-woman yet will be called not Agarens but Saracens from Sara the free-woman Euen so the Iewes bragd they were Abrahams sonnes
seede and blood yet saith our Sauiour to them Iohn 3.39 â—â— You are of your father the Deuill So Papists now who but they they only must be the true Catholikes the true Church for vs we are Lutherans Caluinists Schismatikes Heretikes with such swelling words of vanitie they bewitch and corrupt the mindes of the simpler sort from the simplicitie which is in Christ Iesus euen as the Serpent beguiled Eue through his suttletie 2 Cor. 1â— 3 2 Pet. 2.17 18 19. Of these we reade in the 2. Pet. 2. who though indeed they be but Wels without water promising refreshing to the thirstie but leauing their soules emptie promising to others liberty but are themselues the seruants of corruption yet in speaking great swelling words of vanitie they beguile or allure and catch like fishes them that were cleane escaped from them which are wrapped in errour Hitherto referre we their great brags and vauntings whereby they astonish men and dazle their eyes with the name and report of the Church of Rome with Antiquitie of her doctrine with her Vniuersalitie Succession of Bishops Miracles Authorities of Fathers and lastly with the great rumour and report they giue of the learning of Papists Who doubts but many are bewitched with these sorceries who haue not the spirit of discerning to put difference betweene the emptie name of a Church and the Faith professed in a Church betweene Antiquitie and Nouelitie of Doctrine betweene true Vniuersalitie and a number of men giuen ouer to belieue lies betweene Succession of Bishops and Succession of Doctrine betweene true Miracles and lying wonders such as is said Antichrist should worke betweene Authorities of Fathers and Scripture truly alledged and the same wrested if not falsified and forged lastly betweene true and sauing Knowledge and a generall and swimming knowledge in the braine without obedience or without sufficient warrant and ground from Scripture for seeing they speake not alwayes according to this word Isa 8.20 It is because there is no light in them 5. With shewes of Holinesse Besides the aduantage from their vaunting and shewes of truth we may obserue how they can daube on artificiall colours of a holy profession and life thus Iesabel-and harlot-like to draw the eyes of men to looke vpon them loue and like them vnder which colour doubtlesse they beguile the simple and preuaile much Doe we not see how the Pope insinuates himselfe through deceit and vnder the shew of sanctitie In the Pope He is therefore called abstractiuely His Holinesse but how farre from communicating therein later Popes haue bin might easily and plentifully be shewed if I thought fit to rake in that dunghil He stiles himselfe in a shew of greatest humility With Canaan Gen. 9.25 Seruus seruorum Dei the Seruant of the Seruants of God yet indeed takes vpon him as Dominus Dominorum Lord of Lords suffering himselfe to be called and honoured by the name of God in the singular number We read of Pope Martin the fourth that hauing excommunicated the Sicilians Morn Myster Progress 53. Of this Pope was this Epitaph made Hîc iacet ante chorum submersor Toutonicorum Pastor Martinus extrà qui totus ouinus Et lupus introrsus c. and Peter of Arragon in fauour of Charles King of Sicilie they in the midst of their troubles had recourse vnto him and so prostrate vpon the earth they were inioyned to cry out aloud farre off from him Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi dona nobis pacem O Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world graunt vnto vs peace Which blasphemie he no waies put back Thus while hee shewed the hornes of the meeke Lambe Christ a Dragon spake out of his mouth for euen so he is described Reuel 13.11 Of this ranke generally are all false Prophets who come to vs in sheepes cloathing perhaps with the name of Iesus who is the Lambe of God vpon them but inwardly are rauening Wolues Mat. 7.15 who vnder colour of long Prayers and more then ordinary holinesse Mat. 23.14 deuoure Widowes houses Such are our Iesuites In Iesuites who deceiue not moe eyes through their dissembled apparell whereby they iet vp and downe vnknowne in the habit of Gentlemen Noblemen c. then they doe hearts and minds of the simple through their seeming deuotion whom you may behold now folding their hands now looking vp towards heauen now sighing now leauing the high-way when they meete women from whom they turne their eyes yet these men in secret doe such things as is not meete to name painted Tombes c. inwardly full of faction hatred of the truth cruelty c. Such also is the holinesse of their Monkes In Monkes who brag so of singular perfection good Workes Prayers Fastings voluntary Pouerty contempt of the World forbearing the very touch of Money Virginitie c. The outward austeritie in the habits and outward shew of some of them preuailes much in this kind with well-meaning soules which being simple and plaine dealing themselues conceiue of others by themselues who yet with the false prophets of old doe weare a rough garment to deceiue Zach. 13.4 Iustin Hist lib. 1. fine I cannot fitlier compare these then to Zopyrus who caused himselfe to be whipped and filthily mangled his nose cares and lips to be cut away yet all in hypocrisie to the end he might betray the Babylonians to whom he fled into the hands of his Master King Darius as he also did So these whip and scourge themselues c. that so by seeming to auoid hypocrisie and to meane sincerely they might become guides to the people which they no sooner obtaine but presently they betray them into the hands of their god Pope Herein also they resemble the Scribes of old who adorned themselues with large and broad Phylacteries that is Mat. 23.5 ex Deut. 6.8 as S Ierome noteth with parchments in which the Law of God was written namely the Decalogue which folding vp they bound to their foreheads in fashion of a coronet that they might be still before their eyes Now they that would seeme more zealously obseruant of Gods Lawes then others made their Phylacteries broder then ordinary that they might therein write moe sentences of the Law These that they might be knowne to differ from the common sort carried Gods Lawes more beautifully decyphered on their garments Thus they seemed to be clad with holinesse hauing it written in their foreheads as had Aaron Holinesse to the Lord. Thus certainly they got what they looked for estimation in the world and won credit in the hearts and thoughts of the people But what were they in our Sauiours account Matth. 23.3.5 what were they in truth Hypocrites doing all to be seene of men none greater transgressors of the Law then they Thus were they and thus are the Scribes of our times like to our Alehouses which on the wall haue some goodly sentences of
againe if seducers can but get men at the first to see their monasteries and other religious places which are gloriously resplendently beautified with images lights c. which are able to dazle the eyes of the simple and to winne from them a kind of reuerence who naturally are inclined to idolatry they will hope well for the future especially if they can but winne them to be present at their idolatrous seruice If Alipius in Saint Augustine August lib. confess 6. cap. 8. Of which infrà Sect. 3. by the importunity of his companions can bee ouer-intreated to goe to the bloody spectacles of the gladiatory combatants though he resolue to shut his eyes and so to be absent according to his owne inclination whiles he is present according to his friends desire it is enough some sudden fall of the wounded some outcrie of the people shall make him open his eyes and what he sees shall breed in him an itch to returne againe with the formost It is enough for Papists if the sluces be once opened the waters must then needs runne in aâ—daine Of this sort are such as desire onely a toleration of their Religion as if this would content them and such as would be Reconcilers of vs and the Romanists they would haue vs yeeld in some things vnto them But we dare not lest they at the length obtaine what they ayme at If errour get but once into the belfrey as said a Doctor of our owne D. Fulke See also that worthy and vsefull booke called the Deceitfulnesse of mans heart hap 15.2 Deceit it will neuer leaue till it be in the chancell if it may be suffered to bee in the porch it will not be long but you shall see it possessed of the Church it selfe and setting it in the Pulpit This tricke of insinuation according to both the branches of it they particularly make vse of in their intangling of young Gentlemen who trauell beyond the seas as may be seene worthily and elegantly handled by that graue and iudicious Diuine Doctor Hall in his Censure of Trauell Quo vadis Sect. 16.17 to whom I remit the Reader In the next place 7. By imitation Popish seducers vse an apish kind of Imitation euen as wee haue shewed the Deuill was Gods Ape among the Heathen for looke what were the chiefe means by which the reformers of Religion preuailed in all places all those courses haue the popish sort made vse of with no little aduantage to their side These were First diligence and assiduitie in preaching together with their publishing of diuers treatises of piety and spirituall exercises and deuotions Secondly education and catechising of Youth in the principles of Christian Religion Thirdly offers of disputation Fourthly writing of Histories and Martyrologies and other such like In all these now they haue affronted vs and for diligence in diuers of these quite gone beyond vs. But I meane not to insist as I might on these particularly especially seeing it is already in a better manner performed Relation of the state of Religion Sect. 27.28 to 32. then I am able by the relater of the Religion vsed in the West parts of the World to whom I referre the Reader 8. By Probabilities Lastly these men we speake of come with plausible perswasions and with probabilities which being indeed meerely Sophismes yet the rather preuaile with the most because of mans naturall ignorance and corruption of nature who hath in him by nature the seeds of all error with an inclination thereunto Truth in it selfe and owne nature is farre more probable then falsehood yet with naturall men for the most part Truth is thought falsehood and falsehood Truth Seducing Sophisters therefore hauing the aduantage of mens ignorance and want of true iudgement by their art make falsehood it selfe very probable wherein they make humane eloquence wherewith commonly false teachers excell the true very seruiceable to their purposes who beare it out and would beare all down with boldnesse with probabilities and shew of words Thus they will perswade the common people we are heretikes scismatiks at the least as hauing departed from the vnitie of the Catholique Church and made a rent in it this seemes very probable to vnskilfull and vnstable soules yet is it most false for we haue not gone away as heretiks vse to doe from the true Church of Christ but which all that loue their soules ought to doe Paralogismes from the company and contagion of wicked hypocrites and idolaters so that when they haue said all they can they can yet neuer say that we haue departed from the word of God from the Apostles or from the Primatiue Church and the faith thereof But thus deale crafty deceiuers in all ages who catch men with shadowes who are not able to see or discerne the substance and truth it selfe Tertul. in Apolog. cap. 7.8.9 Thus Tertullian apologizing for the Christians of primatiue times tels vs that whereas it was their doctrine that in respect of the spirituall and eternall life men must onely feed on the flesh and blood of our Sauiour Christ that immaculate Lambe yet there were some enemies to the Crosse of Christ that made the people beleeue that the Christians were wicked and bloody men that they did kill men in sacrifice eate their flesh and drinke their blood And whereas they taught that with God there was neither male nor female Gal. 3.28 Act. 10.34.35 and in respect of iustification no distinction of persons but all were brothers and sisters in Christ there wanted not who calumniated them and said Idem ca. 39. that Christians made no difference either of age or kindred but like bruite beasts promiscuously lay together and accompanied one with another And when according to the necessity of those times of persecution Iuel Apol. Christians often met together into retired places to pray and to heare the Gospell the rumor was they conspired together among themselues and consulted to kill the Magistrates or to ouerthrow the Commonweale this was made more probable because factious rebels in like manner meet together in secret places And S. Augustine relates that because they in the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper vsed Bread and Wine they were therefore thought to worship not Christ but Bacchus and Ceres whom the Heathen with the like rites of Bread and Wine did worship These things were beleeued as no doubt the like now whereby true Religion and the professors thereof are blemished and blamed not because they were true but because they were probable and had some shew of truth Thus would Sauballat make men beleeue Nehemiah meant to rebell against the King Nehem. 6.6 because he fortified Ierusalem Gen. 39.18.19 Thus Iosephs mistris easily perswaded her husband concerning good Iosephs vnchast attempt by shewing him Iosephs garment as formerly his brethren perswaded their father Iacob of the truth of their false relation Gen. 37.32.33 by shewing
him the partie-coloured coat of Ioseph all besmeared with blood and torne From such probabilities and little grounds simple men conclude what others would and not what the premises well sifted and examined afford These deluders creepe into men also by Rhetoricall insinuations and deceiue by Sophisticall quirkes not teaching and shewing the fundamentall points of Religion to instruct men And perswasions but vsing probable perswasions to induce and seduce to errour Thus the Friars euen in France but more in Italy Relation of Religion Sect. 35. saith the Relator in their indeauours to conuert others will say it is lawfull to perswade them but not to dispute with them Tertul. adu Valent But what saith Tertullian Veritas docendo persuadet non suadendo docet the truth perswadeth by teaching and doth nor teach by perswading It seemes heathenish idolatours followed this art of perswading and left the true art and methode of teaching as appeares by * Procedant in medium pontifices conuocent nos ad conscionem distringant aciem ingeniorum suorum si ratio eorum vera est afferatur Parati sumus audire si doceant imitentur nos nos enim non illicimus sed docemus probamus ostendimus Lact. lib. 5. de Iustitia cap. 20. Lactantius But certainly the popish doctrine and practise sute well together as tending to the same end They teach that an implicite faith is as much as is required in ordinary Christians who therefore must not try the spirits by which men speake hereupon they are taught to beleeue without vnderstanding and what lies then may they not belieue they are told that the grounds of Christianity and the proofes that the Scriptures are the word of God are onely credible and probable but cannot be demonstrated that the chiefe proofe is the testimony of the Church which is further guided by the spirit of God the worke whereof is faith which faith searcheth not the particular necessitie of the truth of things deliuered but relieth in generall vpon the approued wisdome truth and vertue of him that doth deliuer it that therefore he that will haue necessary proofe of the seuerall articles of Religion doth but wittily deceiue himselfe that the high vertue of Christianity is in the humility of vnderstanding and the merit in the readinesse of obedience to embrace it What madnesse then were it for any man to waste his spirits in tracing the controuersies of these dayes and not rather to betake himselfe to the true Church whereunto the custody of heauenly truth hath beene committed and to receiue faithfully and obediently without question making whatsoeuer it deliuereth c. This methode being as well plausible as probable This methode and art of perswading may be seene more largely in the wise-obseruer himselfe in his Relation of Religion Sect. 12. is vsed as the chiefe meanes and course of their perswading at this day whereby finding themselues not able to keepe the laity-wholly and grossely ignorant as informer times they cunningly indeauour so to lead them out of the briars as to enter them withall into a second kind of ignorance that being not content to see vtterly nothing at leastwise they may be perswaded to resigne vp their owne eye-sight and to looke through such spectacles as they temper for them For they finde by certaine experience that the ignorance of the Laity was euer the greatest and surest sinew of their greatnesse and glory But we are taught and must teach otherwise first to know and then to beleeue at the least faith must not bee without knowledge Christs sheepe follow him Iohn 10.4 for they know his voice Wherein all other sheepe are herein sheepe indeed which blindly follow their guide though it be to breake their bones by falling and following from some high rocke or other downefall Our Sauiour saith of his Iohn 17.8 they haue knowne surely that I came out from thee and they haue beleeued that thou didst send me And as if the Lord meant purposely to meet with Papists in this point and to let vs know that error in iudgement and practise depended on an ignorant beleefe he instanceth in a point of popery namely abstaining from meats which is also a doctrine of Deuils and tels vs 1 Tim. 4.3 that God hath created meats to be receiued with thanksgiuing of them which beleeue and know the truth Which from hence we may conclude Papists doe not And thus much for the vnderstanding as by other meanes so also by Paralogismes but this to speake with the Apostle Coloss 2.4 I say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and haue said lest any man should beguile you with entising words CHAP. IX Deuillish and Popish Policies for the corrupting of the will affections and outward senses 2. Popish policies for the corrupting the affections of men BVt now see further how this aduantage is followed by Hereticall and Popish Seducers which they haue from the corruption of our nature For as formerly they more directly set vpon the vnderstanding with Paralogismes and other delusions so they would also wooe the Mistris by the Maid they would deceiue Adam by his wife Eue and with the Philistims politickely get and hire Dalilah to lull Sampson asleepe that he might be taken captiue that is by the affections and outward senses of the body they seeke to corrupt and blind yea to captiuate and bind the iudgement This was the Deuils policy when he indeed bewitched the first Adam by his wife Eue whose eyes he first pleased Gen. 3.5.6 whose affections he first tickled before he either by himselfe preuailed ouer her or by her ouer her husband And this was his deuillish and politique attempt when he set vpon the second Adam our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ First he speakes to our Sauiours eies Matth. 4.8.9 for he taking him vp into an exceeding high mountain shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them And by this sight presented to the eye hee would tickle his affections saying All these will I giue thee thus doth he flatter him with faire promises before he tels him what he desires of him for his fetch was thus to get our Sauiour to fall downe and worship him Which is done But particularly the popish practise herein and imitation of their father appeares in their first abusing secondly polluting thirdly pleasing the affections and senses of men 1. By abusing them First how do they abuse mens affections when in their perswasions to popery they lay the ground-worke thereof on that naturall loue and affection which men beare to their kindred fathers and forefathers for hereon they ground a most pestilent perswasion to entertaine the loue of their errors for and with the loue of their persons What say they do you thinke that all your forefathers who liued and died in popery are damned haue ye not more charitable conceits of them then so if then you haue why doe you not
manners in the Clergy at Rome see a pretty politique deceit practised by Benedict a Cardinall by which hee attained the Popedome vnder the name of Boniface the eight He suborned diuers who priuily in the night by a reed or trunke conueyed to the eare of Celestine admonished him saying Celestine Celestine renounce the Papacy giue it ouer if thou meanest to be saued the burthen is beyond thy strength Hereupon the simple deluded man taking it for the voice of God which many nights thus spake vnto him by no intreaty could be perswaded to retaine the Popedome Thus an Angell of Satan transforming himselfe into an Angell of light and of God seated himselfe in the Papacy who as he entred like a Foxe so hee ruled like a Lyon and at the length died like a Dog CHAP. XIII The Conclusion of the former Discourse and Vse concerning Satans Sleights ALL our former discourse giues vs easily to iudge of Popery and shewes vs also Conclusion contrary to Popish doctrine the necessity of Saint Iohns admonition 1 Iohn 4.1 not to beleeue euery spirit but to trie the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world This was the iust commendation which our Sauiour gaue to the Chuch of Ephesus Reuel 2.2 that she had tried them which say they are Apostles and are not and had found them liars Necessity of trying the Spirits And doe not we now see cause why we should doe so likewise surely if wee bee so wise as not to receiue into our bodies an vnknowne dainty before wee haue approued it by smell or taste why should wee be so foolish as hand ouer head to entertaine into our soules any strange or yet questioned doctrine which without triall may proue the bane of our soules especially considering we haue an aduersary that laboures to put poyson into our drinke and offers delightsome baits but sliely couers a deceitfull and pernicious hooke We are also wise enough to trie suspected coyne by the touchstone and ballance before wee receiue it for good or currant and waight The like wisedome should appeare in our triall of doctrine 1 Thess 5.21 to trie all things but to keepe that which is good and like good mony-changers to reiect all adulterate coyne if it haue not Caesars image on it if it be not circled about with Caesars posie But if once we spy the face of Christ shining in it then to purse it vp in the close receptacles of our heart The Scriptures the onely rule of triall Isa 8.20 Act. 17.11 Now Gods word written is our onely Touchstone the one true ballance the onely true Light so that If any speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them By this those noble Beraeans tried what they heard receiuing the word with all readinesse of mind and searching the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Mat. 4. By Scripture our Sauiour repelled all Satans suggestions and this is a sound way of triall seeing this is that onely truth which is from Heauen all other doctrines being either of men or of the deuill 1 Tim. 3.16 The Spirit by which the Scriptures were inspired is but one and therfore called the Spirit of Truth Iohn 16.13 whereas for spirits of errour there are many And because the truth of Christ is but one and alwaies like it selfe â— Tim. 4.1 we make this a firme kind of reasoning against all Seducers This doctrine is not according to Christ not according to his doctrine but such as drawes vs from him therefore wee will none of it Thus the Apostle himselfe teacheth vs to reason Coloss 2.8 Wee therefore reiect all triall of doctrine by Miracles and Visions now in these dayes and we will now iudge of Miracles by doctrine Luk. 16.29.30.31 not of doctrine by Miracles We must heare Moses and the Prophets and not hearken after any that shall rise from the dead We are taught to iudge of Signes and Miracles Dreames and Visions by their end which if it be to withdraw vs to false deities or doctrines we reiect and renounce for so we are warned Deut. 13. Vers 1.2.3 And we are assured that howsoeuer thus Seducers preuaile with others yet with Gods children so long as they hold them to Gods onely word they shall not preuaile though perhaps they thinke with the false prophets of old Ierem. 23.27 To cause Gods people to forget his name by their Dreames which they tell euery man to his neighbour Therefore as by this note of triall we reiect the Miracles of the Heathen because they tended either to establish false gods for thus some were made gods for their driuing away of Grassehoppers for killing of Frogs Crickets and Flies whence it came that the Canaanites called their Beelzebub by the name of Scarâ—â—ly and the Greekes their Iupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to iustifie the wicked in their wickednesse thus the iustly suspected â—â—sâ—all Virgin carried water in a Sieue and another with her only Girdle hailed that Ship which formerly the strength of men and oxen could not moue So by this word of God we reiect all Popish Miracles as being brought to confirm such points of doctrine as the Scriptures allow not of and as we formerly instanced in yea all such doctrine howsoeuer confirmed by Popish Miracles as tends to exalt the Pope against God or yet into the seat of God I read in Maximus Tyrius of one Psapho in Lybia who desirous to be worshipped as God taught a sort of prating Birds to sing Magnus deus Psapho Psapho is a great god and so let them flye into the woods where other birds learned the same lesson by which fraud the country people began to worship him Iust so the Pope of Rome desirous to withdraw the people of this Land from their allegiance due to his Maiesty their lawfull Soueraigne and to get himselfe acknowledged as their head and God maintaines a sort of discontented fugitiues in his Seminaries as in so many cages where he easily teacheth them what tune he pleaseth These being sent home againe teach other birds which are * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same feather the same ditty But we being taught the former lesson and note will not admit of any such strange god or doctrine Galat. 1.8.9 but with the Apostle Saint Paul If any man though an Angell from heauen should preach any other Gospel vnto vs then that we haue receiued we hold him accursed Meanes to come to the knowledge of the truth Prouer. 2. vers 3.4.5 To conclude If any be desirous in the midst of such varietie of doctrine to know what doctrine is true let him vse but diligence and let him not despaire For if thou cryest after knowledge and liftest vp thy voice for vnderstanding if thou seekest her as siluer and searchest for her as for hid treasures then shalt thou
vnderstand the feare of the Lord and find the knowledge of God The meanes then are first a diligent searching and digging in the mines of the Scriptures But this must be done with humilitie and prayer without curiosity and with desire of sauing knowledge and with purpose of reformation of life according to that word 2. Prayer by which we obtaine the Holy Ghost as is promised Luk. 11.13 Iohn 16.13 Reuel 3.18 1 Iohn 2 27. which is the Spirit of truth and will lead vs into all truth This is that eye-salue by which our blind eies receiue sight Which annointing if once we receiue then need we not that any man teach vs for it teacheth vs all things If then Psalm 143.10 with Dauid we can pray Let thy good Spirit lead me vnto the Land of righteousnesse wee shall heare the still voice of Gods Spirit behind vs Isa 30.21 saying as is promised This is the way walke ye in it which way by the way is not Popery 22. which reserues and worships Reliques for it followeth ye shall defile also the couering of thy grauen images of siluer and the ornament of thy molten images of gold Lastly to name no other Obedience to Gods will and a care to liue according to the measure of knowledge receiued hath a promise to be guided by true knowledge for as sayth our Sauiour Iohn 7.17 If any man will doe his that is the Fathers will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe And thus saith Dauid I vnderstand more then the ancients because I keepe thy precepts Knowledge is a talent and where any talent is rightly vsed and imploied it hath a promise Mat. 25.29 to him that hath it shall be giuen Looke then how good huswiues deale with their seruants they giue their maids their pensa towe on their rockes and set them other taskes which when they be performed more is giuen vnto them so God reueales himselfe to vs by degrees and where he sees any to indeauour himselfe according to his knowledge vsing it well God will not let him want a greater measure of further knowledge whereby himselfe is so much honoured And thus much of these idoll gods in my text who were Deuils and of the meanes how Satan became the god of the Heathen and of the Application thereof FINIS SECTION III. IDOLATERS BLINDE ZEALE In sacrificing their Children to the Deuill As also in many other particulars To the prouoking or else shaming of CHRISTIANS Deliuered in a Sermon preached at Saint Maries in CAMBRIDGE March 5. 1614. Newly published By R. I. Bachelour of Diuinity and late Fellow of Saint Iohns Colledge in Cambridge LONDON Printed by G. Eld for Robert Mylbourne 1621. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND Reuerend Mr. Doctor Ward Archdeacon of Taunton and Vice-chancelor of the Vniuersity of Cambridge and Master of Sidney-Sussex Colledge R.I. wisheth all attainable happinesse in this life and hereafter Right Worshipfull Sir and Euer-honored Tutor WHEN I looke backe and consider as duty bindes mee in what age of the world in what ripenesse of the Gospell in what Climate and Region I was brought forth together with the means of my education and trayning Then doe I finde my selfe for euer bound in soule and body to the mercy and goodnesse of the Almighty Lord God who thus gaue me my life being and motion and all other my abilities with the blessed opportunity of place time and meanes of the Gospel with a call to the preaching of it for the eternall saluation of mine owne poore soule and others Yet so that my Parents Friends Kindred and Countrey as also my Instructors and Tutors may iustly vnder God and according to his will claime a share and interest in mee My desire is in some acceptable measure to bee answerable to my duty in all the parts of it Now my whole life and strength is and euer shall be consecrated to the Honour and Seruice of my Lord and Master IESVS CHRIST to whose glory I haue by his grace spared time from mine ordinary ministeriall paines to publish this present Treatise for the behoofe information and inciting of my Christian Brethren to glorifie God by a zealous walking with him And for my kindred and Countrey among other parts of my dutie daily performed on their behalfe I thought good to expresse my thankfulnesse to the whole State of the Towne and County of Newcastle by dedicating to them the two former Sections of this Treatise in respect not onely of my breeding among them but chiefly of that encouragement which from their bounty my studies and Ministeriall labours doe finde Now good Sir I should much forget my duty and respect to you who vnder God were the onely Tutor and formor of my studies in the Vniuersity if remembring my thankfulnesse to others I should passe by your selfe Though I forget not my mother the Vniuersity nor the Colledges Saint Iohns and Immanuel the latter whereof gaue me entertainment and lodged me with you sixe yeares the other nourished and helped to maintaine mee twelue yeares Other requitall then this thankfull acknowledgement for them I haue not at this present Giue me leaue then thus publiquely to expresse my dutifull respect and thankfulnesse to you also by dedicating to your name this third Section contayning a Sermon preached in your hearing March 5. 1614. at a solemne Assembly in Saint Maries in Cambridge Your right to it as to all other my abilities in this kinde is the greatest of any mans I spare to speake what further right you haue in mee and how much I am beholding in my particular to the example of your integrity and conscionable course of life of your great and continuall paines humility and modesty euery way you being as eminent in and for humilitie as humble in eminency of gifts But I dare not presume to presse these while I praise them I know you had rather so bee then be knowne to bee further then Gods glory and the necessity of the Church requires and so you neither are nor can be vnknowne I will conclude propounding the example of your wonderfull diligence and constant paines as also modesty to such as in the Ministery seeke their owne ease and follow their pleasures and by the Ministery seeke dignities and preferments to themselues Doubtlesse labouring with like singlenesse of heart and modesty of minde they should finde little cause to doubt so much of Gods Prouidence as to despaire of Prouision proportionable to their gifts You haue found it vnsought for but shall finde the fruit and reward much more hereafter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not presume to stirre vp you but my selfe and other sluggards in and with the words of Ignatius Ignat. epist 1. to one Mary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus I end Newcastle vpon Tine April 19. 1621. Yours euer in the Lord ROBERT IENISON IDOLATERS BLINDE ZEALE PSAL. 106.37 Yea they
him in the wildernesse and grieue him in the desert yea they turned backe and tempted God 2. Measure Secondly for quality manner degree and measure of sinne thus Hebr. 11.36 Others haue beene tried by mockings and scourgings of wicked men yea moreouer by bonds and prisonment For this is such a sin for height Luke 3.20 3. Impudency as Herod added aboue all his sinnes when hee shut vp Iohn in prison Thirdly for impudency Esay 3.9 Yea they declare their sinnes as Sodome they hide them not Fourthly for defence and iustification of them 4. Defence whereby in a manner merit is ascribed to them Iohn 16 2. Yea the time commeth that whosoeuer killeth you shall thinke he doth God seruice Fifthly for delight in sinne Isay 66.3 Yea 5. Delight they haue chosen their owne wayes and their soule delighteth in their abominations Lastly for resolution Zach. 7.12 Yea 3. Of resolution they made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should heare the law Now surely if such was the generall ouer-flowing of sinne when these things were written what may wee thinke is it now in these last dayes of the world wherein Saint Paul hath told vs Perillous times shall come 2 Tim. 3.1.2.3.4.5 for men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proud blasphemers c. We need not seeke farre to finde many amongst vs on whom we might instance all the former complaints of God and his Prophets which we might iustly take vp against the prophane miscreants of our times But leauing this generall consideration who feeles not in himselfe and sees not in others each sinne without timely resistance made growing to an height by the same degrees that man himselfe from nothing growes to his perfection This resemblance I follow the rather because it is vsed by S. Iames ch 1. v. 14.15 and Saint Paul Rom. 7.4.5 For sinne is a bastardly brood hauing the Deuill to its father and our corruption to the mother which is the Deuils concubine First Lust Eleuen degrees by which each sinne growes to its height concupiscence and the corruption of our nature is as the prostitution of the soule by which it lyeth open to the Deuils suggestions Secondly wicked thoughts whether steaming vp thence or cast in by Satan are as the seed in the wombe Then sudden delight is as the retention of the seed in the wombe Fourthly Consent is the conception of sinne Fifthly a more permanent and enduring delight vpon consent is as the fashioning and articulation of it Then Sixtly purpose to commit sinne is as the springing of the child in the wombe hastning the birth and egresse Then seuenthly followes the act it selfe as the birth of sinne These are the degrees about the breeding and hatching of sinne Yet foure more there are about the growth of it to be gathered out of Hebr. 3.8.12 which are as the increase perfect stature decaying and death of man First by iteration of the act of sinning the heart is hardened Secondly it becomes an euill heart then an vnfaithfull heart And Lastly it departs from the liuing God by vtter falling away from God grace and goodnesse Now that which will follow vpon all these is that one sinne perfited will draw on and make way for other greater sinnes so that without repentance men shall proceed from euill to worse till at the length they be tied and bound in infinite chaines and therein kept for the day of destruction Oh therefore that men out of the former considerations would but lay to heart this mysticall working of sinne that with feare they might either watch against the first motions of sinne or with speedy repentance but winde themselues out of the snares of the Deuill as knowing that otherwise God will one day wound the hairy scalpe of him that goeth on in his sinne We must resist sinne at the beginning What is then to be done Surely this should cause vs earnestly to intreat by daily and vnfained praier that we be not lead into tentation seeing there is no sinne so great into which we may not in time fall especially if God leaue vs to our owne corruption and Satans politique stratagems or otherwise in his iustice giue vs ouer from one degree of sinne to another This we may iustly feare when we are not carefull to resist sinne at the first If we giue entertainment to euill thoughts and lodge them 〈◊〉 our hearts Satan seeing how kindly we receiue and intreat his harbingers will come himselfe attended with legions and take vp the best roome in our hearts out of which he will not be dislodged till we seeke to and giue welcome to Christ and his spirit a stronger then Satan Here then is vse and need of our diligence watchfulnesse and wisdome Oh that we could be but as wise in this kinde as others are wicked Harlots which prostitute their bodies to filthy lusts labour by all meanes they can either to hinder the conception or to kill the childe in the wombe or to drowne it or otherwise to make away with it afterwards that so they may auoid the shame of the world and charge of bringing it vp When Pharaoh would hinder the multiplying of the children of Israel in Aegypt Come on Exod. 1.10.16.22 saith he to his people let vs deale wisely with them lest they multiplie Hereupon as he set hard Taske-masters ouer them so he commanded the Hebrew Midwiues when they did the office of a Midwife to the Hebrew women to kill all the males Which when it tooke not effect he then charged all his people saying Euery sonne that is borne ye shall cast into the riuer Happy we if we were so wise in dealing thus with the children and fruit of our concupiscence either to hinder the conception of them by not consenting or the birth by not committing sinne or being borne to dash these little ones the children of confusion against the stones Psal 137.9 or rocke Christ Iesus But alas sinne and Satan are too wily for vs and our owne hearts too treacherous and our nature weake so that in this state of mortalitie we cannot possibly hope to be free of sinne Humanum est labi errare decipi we must cease to be men before we can hope to cease from sinning To sinne is inseparable from mans nature and that man doth sinne it must be ascribed to humane frailtie as it s said of Ephraim and Iudah Hos 6.7 But they like men haue transgressed the couenant What then Seeing we cannot but sinne shall wee delight in sinne God forbid Thus of men we should become beasts namely filthy dogges and swine 2 Pet. 2.22 whose propertie it is to returne to the vomit and to wallow in the mire Much lesse then must we become deuils by defending knowne sinne or being enemies of righteousnesse or resisting the good motions of Gods Spirit or the truth for which Elymas deserued the name of childe of
the deuill Act. 13.8.10 Our onely way then is to be as zealous in good We must shew a proportionable zeale against sinne as euer wee haue beene forward in euill and whereas perfection in this life is to be measured rather by our desires affections resolutions and indeauours then by performance to shew our zeale first by our hatred of euill 1 By our confession and our confessing and bewailing of sinne aggrauating it against our selues by the same degrees by which we trespassed against God Dan. â—5 and 7. saying with Daniel for himselfe and the people in captiuitie We haue sinned and haue committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and departed from thy precepts c. 2 In our new obedience and willingnesse Secondly by being ready and willing to our power yea beyond our power to yeeld obedience to Gods Commandements that so for our readinesse and resolution to obey we may say with Dauid Psal 40.8 Psal 11â— 34 I delight to doe thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart and pray with him Giue me vnderstanding and I shall keepe thy law yea I shall obserue it with my whole heart that so it may be said of vs generally in respect of all good duties what Paul said of the Macedonians in the matter of almes 2 Cor. â— 2 To their power I beare record yea beyond their power they were willing This resolution to obey God euen in his hardest commands whether by obedience actiue or passiue our Sauiour Christ would haue to be in vs all Luke 14 20. saying If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life also he cannot be my disciple This affection was in S. Paul and should be in vs when for Christs sake and the Gospels he said to the Philippians Yea Philip. 2. â—â— and if I be offered vpon the sacrifice and seruice of your faith I ioy and reioyce with you all 3. In our sorrow for sinne Thirdly by our sorrow for sinne committed and by the fruits thereof that so also it may be said of vs as S. Paul said of the Corinthians 2 Cor. â—â—â— Behold this selfe-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulnesse it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selues yea what indignation yea what feare yea what vehement desire yea what zeale yea what reuenge Such Yeaes as these would eccho well to this Yea in my text where it is said Yea they sacrificed their sonnes and their daughters vnto Deuils THE HEIGHT of ISRAELS Heathenish Jdolatrie PSAL. 106.37 Yea they sacrificed their sonnes and their daughters vnto Deuils SECTION II. CHAP. I. Wherein is proued that the gods of the Heathen were Deuils NOw let vs consider this sinne in particular and because it is a sinne of this nature belonging to Idolatrie and false worship Of the Idoll gods of the Iewes and Heathen let vs first take a view of these Idoll gods Secondly of the sacrifices and seruice done vnto them It s here said They sacrificed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to deuils or to destroyers and spoilers so called from the effect not to any Platonicall or good Daemon but to the deuill himselfe our malicious aduersarie If wee compare this place with Deut. 12.31 we shall see that these deuils were the gods of the Heathen There the Lord forbids his people to doe vnto him as the Heathen did to their gods for they saith the text haue euen burnt in the fire their Sonnes and Daughters to their gods and Deut. 32.17 Moses in his Song complaines of the Israelites that they sacrificed vnto deuils not to God to gods whom they knew not to new gods that came newly vp These gods were the Idols of Canaan verse 38. of this Psalme and the Idoll Moloch whereof in particular God gaue his people caueat Leuit. 18 21. which Idoll was the Image of a Calfe vast and hollow hauing seuen chambers or roomes in it according to the variety of seuerall gifts and sacrifices which were to be consumed in it whereof one was appointed for a sheepe another for a lambe a third for a calfe but the last was for children who by their parents were cast in and burnt quicke â—hat they were Deuils â—â—oued â— From Scripâ—â—â—â— Here wee will shew first that the gods of the Heathen were indeed Deuils Secondly How Deuils came to bee acknowledged and worshipped for gods That they were Deuils will plainly appeare if first we consult with the Oracles of God Saint Paul tels vs 1. Cor. 10.20 that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Deuils and not to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies euill spirits and the very Deuils according to the vse of Scripture which by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnderstands diabolos Deuils as 1. Tim. 4.1 where mention is made of doctrines of Deuils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus Leuit. 17.17 God chargeth his people that they shall no more offer their offerings vnto Deuils after whom they that is the Gentiles haue gone a whoring And so is Rehoboam said 2 Chron 11.15 to haue ordained him Priests for the high places and for the Deuils and for the Calues which he made and my text is plaine which saith They sacrificed their Sonnes and Daughters vnto Deuils â— From their accepting of sacrifice See Baruch chap. 6. A further proofe hereof is that they were neither the true God for Saint Paul tels the Galathians ch 4.8 that when they knew not God they did seruice to them which by nature are no gods neither good Angels for they both require and accept sacrifices which good Angels know to be due to the true God onely and so indeed they are for saith Saint Augustine a August de Civit. Dei lib. 10. cap. 19. As when we pray to or praise God we direct our words to him onely to whom we offer in our hearts the thing signified by our words so in our sacrifices we offer not any visible sacrifice but to him b Non altere quam illi cuius in cordibus nostris invisibile sacrificium nosipsiâ—sse debemus onely to whom we owe the inuisible sacrifice of our owne hearts and selues Therefore the good Angels being perfect in charity both towards God and man will neither by accepting any sacrifice dishonour God which euen good men Paul and Barnabas Acts 14.14.15 refused to doe nor seeing they loue vs as themselues will they haue vs to attaine happinesse by other meanes then they themselues doe so that seeing as the same Father saith August ut supr lib. 10. cap. b. 4.7.19.25.26 The summe of both Tables is fulfilled in this that we should c Et a quibus diligimur duci quos diligimus ducere both be gained to God our selues by such as loue vs and
follow their steps Thus haue some Popish parents vpon their death-bed charged their childrens loue with an obedience to their last command which was that they should also liue and die in the same religion and this is the chiefe reason which some of them can giue of their faith as in experience I haue found Thus also he is no Gentleman that is no Papist whereas God knowes men how noble soeuer neuer cease to bee Gentlemen in Gods account till then for then indeed doe they cease also to be men * See Lactant. Instit lib. 2. de Orig. erroris cap. 1. fine Ipsi ergo sibi renunciant seque hominum nomine abdicant qui non sursum aspiciant sed deorsum cap. 2. fine when they beginne so slauishly to subiect themselues to man yea to cast themselues downe before and vnder Images of earth and mettall whereas God and Nature hath giuen vnto man an erected face and countenance to looke in his deuotions to heauen the place and seat of Gods glory Vpon the like ground when they finde any vntractable through too much prejudice they labour to temper him with their plausible conuersation winding themselues into credit reputation loue c. thus to gaine some interest and possession in the hearts and affections of such as they would seduce All this while not a word must be spoken of Religion as if that were no part of the errand Euen thus saith a worthy Obseruer D. Hall in his Quo vadis Sect. 16. haue wee seene an Hawke cast off at an Heron-shaw to looke and flye a quite other way and after many carelesse and ouerly fetches to towre vp vnto the prey intended All this is that at least for loue of their persons the poyson of their after-perswasions may be loued taken and digested For now hauing got themselues the reputation of a sweet ingenuitie and delightfull sociablenesse opportunitie is found to bestow some witty scoffes vpon those parts of our Religion which lye most open to aduantage and so from them with many protestations of loue warily and by degrees to other points Thus especially are our English Gentlemen who crosse the seas wooed and dealt withall by their insinuating countrimen smooth Papists who vpon notice formerly giuen them expect and waite their comming Now contrariwise especially among their owne and with others also the Teachers and Louers of the Truth are both secretly and also openly and impudently traduced calumniated and euill spoken of that so the truth they preach and professe may be distasted by reason of that prejudice which mens naughty affections haue conceiued against their persons Euen thus did the false apostles of old deale â— Cor. 10.10.12 who vainly vaunting and commending themselues did withall vilifie S. Paul and speake of him to the people as of a bragging fellow who seemed terrible a farre off by his letters but yet being present was but weake and his speech contemptible It were infinite to relate particularly what slaunders and vile imputations are laid vpon Protestants and true professors so that calumniations lies slanders falshood are now one chiefe pillar of Popery on which it stands It is the Popish practise if not doctrine Calumniare audacter semper aliquid haerebit lay on load wound them in their good names calumniate and charge them falsly for what though the wound be closed and cured yet some scarre will euer remaine there will bee some or other to beleeue it Relation of Religion Sect. 30. Thus as is obserued they suborne post-men to write the Legends of Protestants that afterwards they might cite them as approued authors and histories as is euident in the liues of Caluin and Beza written by their sworne enemy Bolseck the twice banished and thrice runnagate Friar and Physitian who being by their side requested to write thus is in their writings alledged as Canonicall Now this they gaine by such slaunders they put the party slaundered to iustifie and proue the negatiue which in Logicke is made alwayes very difficult and often impossible which yet if he be notable directly to doe the other triumphs as in a matter of infallible truth and victory But as bare deniall doth not alwayes cleare a man so should not a bare accusation especially of an enemy bee taken as sufficient to condemne him for then as Iulian answered Delphidius who shall be found guiltlesse Surely few that haue enemies as all good men haue Againe whereas corrupt affections and manners 2 By polluting the affections partly of their owne nature partly by Gods iust iudgement cause error in minde and vnderstanding so that where the will is inclined to euill there the minde is bent to falshood behold how Satans bawds goe about to bewitch mens affections and pollute them by corrupting and inclining them to sinne that so the iudgement may conceiue of things not as they are in themselues but as they appeare through the false glasse of affections which not onely raise vp fogges and mists to blinde the iudgement but also plead mightily for what they affect It is obserued by some that so many bookes of bawdry and ribaldry as are by Popish factors of purpose translated out of Italian into English doe turne more from the truth at home then their contentious bookes abroad For our English becomming once Italionated are by that meanes effeminated and consequently Satanized Such bookes in what language soeuer must needs proue exceeding prejudiciall to the chastitie both of body and of minde and of the minde because of the body I wonder what sound iudgement in religion could that Archbishop of Beneuentum Bartholomaeus de la Casa and the Popes Nuncio at Venice be of who wrote published that booke which he entitles De arte diuina Of the diuine Art yet being indeed De arte Sodomitica of the art of Sodomie being written in the commendation of that most vnnaturall sinne And what sound mindes can they haue that delight eyther in that booke or in that sinne or any other of like nature Rom. 1.27.28 Surely we cannot imagine but God giues such ouer to a reprobate minde so that it is no hard conquest to make myriads of such to be Romish prosylites and conuerts and such indeed are the greatest part of their conuerts none or few of very good affections but such as eyther take or from that religion seeke liberty to the flesh Howsoeuer if they finde them not such there shall not sometimes want their endeuour to make them such by the meanes aforesaid or otherwise Wee reade our owne times prophecied of and wee see the truth of the Prophecie with our eyes whereby wee are told of a sort of men which creepe into houses 2 Tim. 3.6.7 and lead captiue silly women laded with sinnes and led away with diuers lusts euer learning and neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth Out of which words for our purpose we note first that corrupt and sinfull affections are enemies and
hinderances to the truth of God secondly wee note a double fetch of politique seducers The first to take the aduantage of the wils corruption and of our muddy affections thereby to dimme and obscure the cleare sight of the iudgment which they do not in women onely but in men also of womanish affections The second is that they beginne with women the weaker sexe and with the weakest of that sexe silly and simple women whom as they seduce so do they vse as instruments to seduce men by them Now this is a deuillish fetch first practised by the deuill who in deceiuing Adam by his wife Eue hath thus set a copy to such his schollers as are of the Schoole and Synagogue of Satan See how it was sampled by Balaam who not able to bewitch the Israelites by his sorceries yet by his wicked counsell hee did Numb 31.16 Much euill by women For as Moses tels vs Women namely the women of Moab caused the Children of Israel through the counsell of Balaam to commit trespasse against the Lord in the matter of Peor that is by entising them to carnall copulation they drew them on to spirituall fornication to Idolatry Psal 106.28 and to ioyne themselues vnto Baal Peor and to eate the sacrifices of the dead Numb 25.1.2 This lesson it seemes was all taken out by some in the Church of Pergamus Reu. 2.14 that held the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balac to cast a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed vnto Idols and to commit fornication 1 King 11.3.4 Euen thus did Salomons wiues turne away his heart after other gods For as Nehemiah told the Iewes that had married wiues of Ammon Nehem. 13.26 and of Moab strange women caused him to sinne And certainly there was a mystery in it that women were the Deuils prophetesses among the Heathen by whom also as by Pythia he gaue forth his Oracles Yea in all ages of the Christian Church we shall finde women strongliest infected with error and the greatest abetters thereof so that deprauation of religion hath often beene hatched in and by their mariages and errors and heresies haue grown strong in their nurseries Constantia widow of Licinius and sister to Constantine the great being corrupted with the blasphemy of Arrius got her brother to call home Arrius from banishment So Iustinia mother to the Emperor Valentinian got the Arrians a Temple at Millan So Eudoxia perswaded her husband Theodosius to fauour Eutiches his faction against the Orthodoxe teachers and so was Arcadius seduced by his sister Eudoxia And had not Simon Magus his Helena and Apelles his Philumena and haue not other heretiques their seuerall women whom first of all they animated with the spirit of error Instances and particular examples in our owne times and neighbour Nations would be odious Yet this we may say safely and experience shewes vs as much that many are hooked in to imbrace Popery by vnfortunate mariages with women popishly affected there is seldome any marrying of such vnlesse men be first married to their Religion and the Whore of Rome Howsoeuer though they be no Papists before yet doubtlesse curtaine Sermons preuaile much with many to make them so If it be asked why especially the Deuill and his factors make so much vse of women in this kind and why they chuse them as apter for their purpose and end the answer is Because that sexe being carried more by affection then by iudgement is First easie to bee deluded through the credulity curiosity infirmity and simplicity of their sexe through the want first of iudgement and wisedome to see and auoid the sleights of Satan secondly of power to resist and as it is the easilier misled so the hardlier reclaimed as the weaker to resist by reason so the stronger to persist in wilfulnesse new fangled in their opinions as in their attire louing nothing that is vulgar Dallington in his Inference vpon Guicciardines Digression no not the truth as one pithily notes Secondly because that sexe is more fit and apt to delude by mouing perswading and intising of men who the more willingly often suffer themselues to become their spoile for their iudgements that they might be masters of the others affections Besides women rule more in the hearts of Children in diuers regards then the fathers which the popish sort of seducers are wise enough to obserue and make vse of Idem ibid. for they know that fathers doe but prouide for them but mothers feed them fathers are austere the mother indulgent fathers haue the awe mothers the loue fathers haue the eye but mothers the heart from whom with their milke they sucke this veriuice wherewith the teeth of many great families are set on edge and whereby within these few yeares their number is increased here among vs exceedingly especially in these Northren parts of England This being the danger though I know godly Matrons should instruct their children in godlinesse and Religion as also Christianly aduise their husbands with all humility yet God by his Apostle will not suffer a woman to teach 1 Tim. 2.11.12 I suppose publickly nor to vsurpe authority ouer the man but to bee in silence and to learne in silence with all subiection And hee reproues the Church of Thyatira for suffering the woman Iesabel Reuel 2.20 which called her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and to seduce his seruants to commit fornication and to eate things sacrificed vnto idols To conclude in a word the whole body of popery as it is popery is in the respect last spoken of a Seducer and a forcible though a silent solicitor of mans will and affections to sinne and consequently to error while their whole doctrine almost opens a window thereunto For to giue an instance when men may haue absolutions from any sinne whatsoeuer for a certaine and that a very small price and piece of mony as all sinnes are valued and rated in their bookes of taxes who then that is of vnmortified and vnregenerate affections as we are all naturally would not yea doth not take liberty to sinne securely as knowing beforehand how and at what price hee may redeeme it or at the worst that his satisfaction is to be but temporary either in this life or in their imagined Purgatory This doubtlesse is though an inward and not acknowledged yet a powerfull motiue with many lustfull young men and women and with many who loue liberty to become Papists and so to captiuate their iudgements in matters of religion to the wils of others when they see that popery for the practise of it is but a very outside of Christianity and a meere formality of deuotion which they can easily performe by saying ouer their beads c. And when they see that not the deuoutest Papist yea not a Papist in Christendome euer prayeth dayly with his family or sings but a Psalme at home as not taking themselues so strictly tied