Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n
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A18356
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Sixe sermons. Preached by Edward Chaloner Doctor of Diuinitie, and Fellow of All-Soules Colledge in Oxford
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Chaloner, Edward, 1590 or 91-1625.
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1623
(1623)
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STC 4936; ESTC S107651
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125,612
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381
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now banished the Christian World by the decree of our Lord Christ Iesus and herein wee must obserue that Precept of our Sauiour to his Disciples Goe not into the way of the Gentiles Matt. 10.5 in these things imitate them not but what doe we therefore altogether shunne Altars and Images and Temples it was an old imputation indeede of Celsus and others against Christians in the Primitiue Church as it is now of the Romanes against vs that wee abandon these Ceremonies and relinquish them to which my answer at this time shall be no other then what Origen gaue Celsus Origen contra Celsum lib. 8. Celsus affirmes saith he that we shunne Altars and Images because hee takes it to bee the beleefe of that inuisible and inexplicable Communion wee maintayne when in the meane time hee perceiues not that to vs the mindes of the iust are for Altars and Temples from which doubtlesse are sent forth those most sweet odours of Incense Vowes I meane and Prayers from a pure Conscience Wee are not therefore ambitious in mounting Altars or framing Images which heretofore haue beene the Tabernacles of Deuils and Cages of vncleane Spirits but rather imbrace such liuing Altars as one whom we see to burne the true fire of Zeale kindled not by vestall Virgins but by the Spirit of God Let any man addes that Father make an inquirie into those Altars which wee expound and compare them with those which Celsus I 'll say which the Pope would bring in or the Images which are fixt in the minds of them which worship God with Phydias's or Policletus's or whomsoeuer men list to select of cunning Artificers and he shall plainly see that these inanimate and senselesse Colossos's shall decay and corrupt with time whereas those liuing Sanctuaries shall bee immortall and continue for euer Shall we feare Beloued lest Altars and Images be taken away or Churches loose somewhat of their Grace and Ornament I must tell you with Saint Ambrose Ambros lib. 2. de offic c. 28. that neither our Prayers nor Sacrifices stand in need of such trimming Ornatus Sacramentorum redemptio captiuorum est the best adorning of Sacraments is not Tissues and Silke or embroidered Canopies or spangled Crucifixes or painted Poppets or any the like facings wherewith Poperie sets forth her Altars more like Pageants then places which sauour of Christs simplicitie but the redeeming of Captiues Let others therefore saith Hierom cloathe the walls with Marble Hieron ad Demetriadem let others bring in vast and mountainous Columnes into Temples and beguild the heads of them which yet are not sensible of their ornature let them interlace their Portices with siluer and Iuorie and beset their Tables with Pearles and Diamonds truly set superstition apart I reprehend it not I disswade it not euery man abounds in his owne sense and it is a great deale better to doe this then to suffer ones gold to canker and rust in his Coffers nay I am constrained to say that our times neede spurres and pricks to rouse men vp to bee more mindefull of Gods House then they are but yet you must thinke of another thing too Cloathe Christ in the poore visit him in the sicke feede him in the hungry entertaine him in the destitute instruct him in the ignorant offend him not in the weake then shalt thou raise vp Altars vnto Christ not of stone which moulter and decay with age but liuing Altars which shall send vp sweet Sacrifices of prayse and thanksgiuing both for themselues and thee I would haue no man to obiect the Temple of Hierusalem wherein were placed the Table and Cherubins and Censer and Arke of pure gold then were these allowed of the Lord when the Priests did offer sacrifices and when the bloud of Beasts made the attonement for their sinnes although all things were but then in a figure and written for our instructions on whom the ends of the World are come but now what should we admire those Altars whose couering our Sauiour Christ pronounced to bee but vnrighteous Mammon or those Censers whose metall Saint Peter was not ashamed to confesse that hee had none of crie not therefore Templum Domini templum Domini the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord as did sometimes the Iewes Ier. 7. Ier. 7. Hee is the temple of the Lord in whom true faith dwelleth who is clothed with Iustice as with the vaile of the Tabernacle in whom not Temperance alone or Abstinence sing their parts but in whom the whole set of Vertues make a compleat Quire wouldst thou therefore like the Gentiles build an Altar and yet not as did these Athenians to the vnknowne god why see matter and stuffe prepared to thine hand the Prophets and Apostles for the foundation Christ himselfe for the chiefe corner Stone Wouldst thou lay it ouer with pure and refined metall why see the Word of God it is like gold seuen times purified in the fire Wouldst haue a Beast to slay mortifie and kill thy beastly affections which otherwise would kil thee Wantest thou a Knife to kill them take the Sword of Preaching not into thine hand but into thy heart that is it which is sharper then a two edged sword and cutteth to the diuiding and separating of soule and spirit Are all these things prepared and lackest thou yet fire to consume them why Zeale must be that fire without which all these will profit thee nothing O Beloued if these were the Sacrifices of the Romanists or these the Altars of Papisme I would change my speech and most heartily request you to ioyn hands with them and let the seamelesse coate of Christ to suffer rupture and diuision no more betweene vs no longer should thy blessed Name sweet Iesus beare reproach among the vncircumcised Infidells for our separation but if their Altars bee but the Popes Exchequers and the Priests but like the Publicans which sit there at the receit of custome Exite è Babylone Goe out of Babylon let vs treate no longer with her vpon Articles of agreement Erasin in annot ad Hieron Epitaph Paule Bernard in Auolog ad Gul elmum Abbatem What Erasmus saith of the Altars of our time the same verdict S. Bernard giues of the Altars of his time by the sight of such sumptuous and wonderfull vanities saith he men are more incited to offer then to adore Thus riches are swallowed vp by riches thus money drawes in money because I know not by what meanes but so it is where men see most there are they most willing to giue On Altars therefore is presented the beautifull portraicture of some Saint and it is thought so much the more holy by how much the more beautifull Men runne to kisse it they are inuited to inrich it and more are astonished at things curious then inclined to adore things religious O vanitie of vanities and yet not greater vanitie then madnesse the Church abounds in the walls and wants
Heauen when hee rolled away the stone from the mouth of our Sauiours Sepulchre Matth. 28. sometimes it is taken Metaphorically when one by manifesting himselfe in his actions resembleth a kind of descent in his person and so God may bee said to descend non mutatione loci sed patefactione sui not by changing his place but by declaring himselfe For though God being in his essence considered is euery where present yet if wee consider him in his effects and in his workes certi huius praesentiae gradus dandi sunt say the Schooles there be as it were certayne degrees of his presence to bee granted Greg. Com. in Ezech. hâ—m 8. Omnia tangit non tamen aequaliter omnia tangit saith Gregory so that hee is present in a seuerall manner to seuerall things Communiter omnibus specialiter aliquibus hee descends by his workes of Power to all his Creatures vpon Earth by his workes of Grace to his Seruants Elect alone by his workes of Confusion to the wicked and Reprobates and in this latter sense I take to be vnderstood the words of my Text goe to let vs goe downe Now this going downe against these haughtie builders is sufficiently expressed in my Text where God by the similitude of a King who minding to punish wicked and rebellious subiects sends not others but himselfe goes downe in person to doe Iustice notes out vnto vs his iust seueritie and vigilant care in rewarding head-strong and ambitious Miscreants but yet the reason hereof appeares better by the coherence of these words with the former Verse Delrâ—e ex Philon. Chrysost For wheras there God had thorowly scanned and sifted as it were the thoughts and imaginations of these wicked builders and by experience found that they were not now growne to an opinion alone or a longing to commence this prodigious action for the winning of a name but that Pride was by this time at her high tyde and that a resolute presumption had gotten the sole swage of their affections so that hee by way of communication with himselfe describing First their condition that they had not only imagined or in their brests alone conceiued this vanitie but had euen already begunne to doe it Secondly their resolution that vnlesse hee with his Omnipotent arme should interpose nothing would bee restrayned from them which they imagined to do he addeth immediatly these words Goe to let vs goe downe which beeing as it were a Decree grounded vpon the former communication may not vnfitly afford vs this obseruation That to bee bent vpon a vaine resolution of purchasing a name is a fearefull presage of Gods comming downe to worke confusion Fifthly no sinne is so hatefull to God as this pride and seeking of glory other sins hurt most our selues or our neighbours but this directly as it were opposeth it self vnto God by remembring our selues too much it vtterly makes vs forget our Creator God therefore is said to resist the proud 1. Pet. 5. to scatter them in the imaginations of their hearts Luke 1.51 To destroy euen their house Prou. 15. and whosoeuer is an exalter of himselfe to bring him low Matth. 23.12 Assyrias Monarch affects but a name from his strength and wisdome and is threatned to bee consumed like thornes with a flame Esay 10. Nebuchadnezzar but triumphs in his Maiestie and glory and that goodly Tree must bee hewne downe and exposed amongst the beasts of the Field Dan. 4. Looke vpon the Prince of Tyrus Ezech. 28. or the Israelites Amos 6. and wee shall find that the exalting of their owne name for blessings receiued of God was that which puld downe plagues and afflictions vpon them To omit many others we reade of Herod Acts 12. how immediately after the peoples shout terming his Oration the Voyce of God and not of Man the Angell of the Lord smote him and why not for any boasting of himselfe for ought we find but for not declining the too great applause of the people So sudden hath God beene in confounding those which eyther proudly haue sought or vainly imbraced a glorious Name But what will some obiect may no Fame bee affected or Name bee sought for Hath God enriched some with such admirable gifts and excellent endowments aboue others and must all these bee buryed in obscuritie without speaking of Beloue mistake me not it is not a good name neyther is it a great Name which I heere dislike but our owne inordinate seeking of it Things are of two sorts Thom. 2.2 q. 132. art 1. Valent. Tom. 3. disp 8. q. 3. punct 2. some are bona perâ—se good in themselues and these in themselues are to bee sought for as Faith Hope Charitie and the like Vertues others are not good but indifferent in themselues and are to bee hunted after only as they may bee instruments of what is good in it selfe and amongst these are reckoned Fame and humane Glory To seeke Glory therefore or a Name as they may bee Instruments of a farther good is no sinne a good Name being rather to bee desired then great riches Prou. 22. For first as it is meroeâ— des meritorum a reward of our deserts it stirres vp a desire of well doing in our selues and herein is to bee desired Secondly as it is signum virtutum a token of Vertues in vs it makes our good indeauours the more passable amongst others and herein is to bee disired Lastly as it is Argumentum cuiusdam excellentiae diuinae in nobis as Thomas speaketh it worketh an acknowledgement of Gods graces towards man in vs all and herein is to be desired And in these respects Saint Paul bids vs prouide honest things not in secret onely but in the sight of all men Rom. 12. And our Sauiour addes the reason Mat. 5. That men may see our good workes and glorifie our Father which is in heauen Whereupon saith Austen Aug aâ— frat in Eremo seâ—m 52. Iom 10. Tenete quod dixi atque distinguite Duae suntres conscientia fama Conscientia necessaria est tibi fama proximo tâ—â— But to seeke a name as these builders did without relation at all to any higher end therein consists the vanitie Our heauenly Father he knowes what we haue need of and hath in heauen rescrued a name for vs which he hath written in the Booke of Life to grudge because we want it in this world is to weepe for the extinguishing of a Candle when in stead thereof wee are assured of the light of the Sunne And indeed Saint Paul giues and excellent example to illustrate and confirme this doctrine for when some Corinthians began to make more account of the false Apostles that crept in amongst theÌ„ then of him he that he might by bringing them to esteeme of himselfe bring them also to esteeme of the Gospell which he preached stucke not to tell them that he was not a whit behind the chiefest of the Apostles and to boast that he had been in labors