This fire of the Spirit must be fetcht from heaven Lumen de lumine from the Father of lights who giveth his Spirit to them that ask it By water because of its clensing cooling 2. Ezek. 36.25 Joh. 3.5 refreshing and fructifying vertue and quality Indeed many are washed with the water of baptism that are not washed with this water Simon Magus of whom it is said Fonte quidem lotus sed non in pectore mundus Let us ever say with the woman of Samaria But with more sensibleness than she did Lord ever give us of this water then shall we be clean and fit for the holy Jerusalem He is said to proceed from the Father and the Son Joh. 15.26 to shew the Essence and Nature that he is of for as the spirit of man must needs be truly of mans nature and is the most formal and essential part of man So and much more it must be thought of the Spirit of God upon whom no composition falleth And this in effect is the Apostles Argument What man knoweth the things of a man 2 Cor. 2.11 save the spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God That is none knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God who is in him and of his own Essence and Nature That was a sweet promise I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 The best thing upon the basest What can God do more for his people This is to give them all good things in one so many are the benefits we receive by the Spirit Eph. 5.9 Delicata res est Spiritus Dei therefore we must observe and obey his motions We should lay our selves as instruments open to the Spirits touch submitting to his discipline as Paul did who said I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Which requires a great deal of self-denial Serpents they say can do no hurt in water no more can that old Serpent where the holy Spirit dwells This is the Instructer which teacheth us the Spirit of life which quickens us the Advocate which speaks in us the Comforter which relieves us and the everlasting Fountain and Spirit of truth from whom all truth and celestial riches do flow unto us Your Father which is in heaven Mat. 7.11 Luke 11.13 Eph. 4 â—â— will give good things to them that ask him Your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption De Sacrâ Scripturâ I Will not stand to search how ancient Writing is Exod. 24. wherein some have lost time and labour I know that many do make God the first immediate Author of it and do affirm that the first Scripture that ever was was Gods writing of the Law in two Tables But because we find that Moses wrote all the Word of the Lord and Josephus doth report a tradition of the Hebrews for writing and graving before the flood I hold it probable that both Scripture and Sculpture are as ancient as the Old World However we see the care that God hath taken for the publishing of his Will to the Church which he hath done both sufficiently that we need no more knowledge for eternal life than what is contained in Scripture and so clearly that the Word giveth understanding to the simple Scripture is twofold 1. Inward called Scriptura Cordis 2. Outward called Scriptura Testimonij The inward Scripture of the heart is that which the Spirit of God immediately writeth in the fleshly tables of the hearts of all the Sons of God and by this all that are to be saved are taught of God Jer. 31.33 Hebr. 8.10 2 Cor. 3.3 The outward Scripture of the Testimony is that which was inspired by the Holy Ghost and committed to writing by the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists to preserve and transmit sound and saving doctrine by their pens to all Posterity Of this latter Moses was the first writer in the world as may be proved by the Evangelist Luke 24.27 Hence we conclude that our Religion grounded in these writings is the old Religion even as old as the day of mans creation and fall whereas all other Religions are but of yesterday nay the gods themselves worshipped by Heathens and Turks were long after the time of Abraham There is no Question more worthy satisfaction in Divinity Appâ—llatur ab Arminio Instrumentum Religio tis than that which enquireth into the Authority of Scripture 1. For all Religion depends upon it and wavering in this principle openeth a wide door to beastly Epicurism Devilish Atheism and all contempt of Religion and Justice 2. If the heart be not perswaded that the Scriptures be of God it will easily reject hearing reading practise and all the means of salvation 3. The doubting of this cutteth off all faith Rom. 14.23 and the comfort and strength of faith for a man must first believe Gods Word to be true Titubabit sides si Scripturarum vacillat authoritas Aug. before he can believe it to be true to him and what comfort in temptation without the Sword of the Spirit or what peace in terrour of Conscience without the Word which is the Well of salvation 4. The doubting of this cuts off all self-denial mortification and sound repentance for who will abandon his carnal delights and pleasures and undertake the strict course of godliness that doth doubt whether the Scriptures be the Word of God or not But it is clear that the Scriptures are the Word of God 1. The Lord professeth them to be his own words Isa 55.11 Mic. 2.7.2 The Prophets begin with the Word of the Lord and the Apostles 1 Cor. 11.23.3 The matter of the Scriptures they treat of the great works of the eternal God as Creation Providence justice and mercy both temporal and eternal c. Speaking of great mysteries above the reach of humane wisdom yea of things contrary to natural wisdom Searching the heart and discovering the thoughts Hebr. 4.12 And containing most ample and large promises of a blessed and eternal happiness by faith in the Messiah Amongst us Stephen Langton Arch-bishop of Canterbury first divided the Bible into Chapters in such sort as we now account them Robert Stephens into Verses Goodw. Catal. pag. 109. But not much commended by Scultetus who saith Imperitissimè plerunque dissecans which Covenant none could make or can make good but only God himself blessed for ever 4. Concerning the Instruments and pen-men of Scripture Their extraordinary calling infallible assistance 1 Pet. 1.11 unblameable conversation 2 Pet. 2.21 sincerity and uprightness in writing sparing neither others nor themselves their stile together with their joint-consent
23 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Percolantes culicâ—m camelum antem absorbentes Pro veâ—bialis haec est sententia in eos qui in rebus minimis sunt superslitiosi intermi magna neâ—ligunt The world encompassed by him p. 81. neither ever goes without an Erra Pater in his pocket when he lies on his death-bed noâ— sin troubleth him so much as that he once are flesh on a Friday no repentance can â—expiate that the rest need none He never dreams without an interpretation without a prediction and if the event answer not his exposition he expounds it according to the event Old wives and starres are his counsellers he weares Paracelsian characters for the tooth-ach and a little hallowed wax is his antidote for evils he goes about to have the Crosse still of his right hand c. Superstition will needs obtrude upon Christ Will-worship whether he will or no as the people would once have taken him by force and made him a King John 6.15 Or as the Lycaonians would needs have stollen a sacrifice upon Paul and Barnabas Acts 14. And the Salvages of Nova-Albion upon Sir Francis Drake and his company at their parting with them Superstition is very pleasing to nature and suitable to sense and carnal reason being usually very pompous and costly I have read of a Lady in Paris who when she saw the bravery of a Procession to a Saint she cried out O how fine is our religion beyond that of the Huguenots they have a mean and beggarly Religion but ours is full of solemnity and bravery c. Superstition is for most part not liberal only but prodigal Mic. 5.7 And no wonder when as good works are by Bellarmine said to be Mercatura regni caelestis the price and purchase of heaven It is said of Lycurgâ—â— the Lacedemoniâ—n that he made a Law that no man should be at very great charge for a sacrifice lest he should grow weary of Gods service yet when the famous carver Phidias advised the Athenians to make the statue of Minerva rather of Marble than Ivory 1. Because more durable this passed with allowance 2. Because lesse chargable at the mention hereof with infinite indignation they commanded him silence Pliny tells us of Alexander the great that when as being yet a youth he cast great store of frankincense upon the Altar and his School-master told him he must not be so liberal till he had subdued the frankincense countreyes When once he had conquered Arabia he sent his School-master a ship full of frankincense largely exâ—orring him to worship the gods therewith That mans nature is very forward to superstitious worship willing to take more pains to follow the inventions of man than to keep the institutions of God appears Jerusalem where they ought to have worshipped was neerer unto most of the Israelites than either Dan or Bethel were for Bethel was in the utmost bounds of the South and Dan in the utmost bounds of the North and yet thither would they go to worship the calves And it is further observed by some that the Israelites grew so Zealous in a short time in that abomination that they who dwelt neer Bethel did disdain to worship at Bethel to serve God at their own doors and therefore they would go to Dan and they that dwelt at or neer Dan would go to Bethal to worship Thus the blind votaries among the Papists at this day will needs go a Pilgrimage to the remotest places to Jerusalem and visit the sepulchre c. These long journeys are but a step to them and hard penances they glory in The nature of man will carry him two miles at his own bidding rather than one at Gods How may this shame godly men for their sloth in doing the will of God when they hear how industrious evill men are in doing their own Yea how may it shame them that they should take lesse pains to keep a righteous law than many do to satisfy a filthy lust Diligence is good about that which is good it is good to be zealously affected always in a good matter but Zeal and diligence misplaced how evil are they It is better to creep in a good way than to run in a bad way Even idlenesse is better than such diligence But to be sure Sathan will never check their diligence who are doing his work nor take them off from their pace who are going or galloping his way In vain do they worship me Mat. 15.9 teaching for doctrines the commandments of men Who hath required this at your hand Isa 1.12 I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious Act. 17 22. Read Mic. 6.6 7. Col. 2.23 Tradition Additio ad scripturam fit tripliciter in quo additum est 1. Contrarium et est erroris 2â— Diversum et est praesumptionis 3. Consonum et est sidel is instructionis It is Humane Mat. 15.2 Divine 1 Cor. 11.2 2 Thes 2.15 and 3 6. A divine ordinance or tradition is a doctrine first delivered from God and written down afterwards for the use of the Church This we are bound to beleeve absolutely An humane ordinance is not written in the Word but delivered from man to man A tradition thus taken is either good or evil according to the subject-matter and intention of men And therefore this is to be beleeved conditionally as it agreeth with the Word The Pharisees had many traditions and unwritten verities pretended to be invented and prescribed them by their Elders that by the observation thereof they might be the better enabled to keep Gods commandements These they stiled complections or perfections because thereby they conceited that the written Law was made more compleat and perfect The like say the Papists of their traditions These whether true or false are delivered by Word 2 Thes 2.15 Writing 2 Thes 2.2 And many errours have come in by wresting and writhing mens writings L. 1. de Triâ— c. 3. to another meaning than ever they were intended Thus 2 Pet. 3.16 So Austin was served and he foresaw it I beleeve faith he that some of my readers will imagine Me sensisse quod non sensi aut non sensisse quod sensi That I was in many things of another mind than ever I was indeed And it fell out accordingly for as Baronius witnesseth after Austins death there arose up divers Baron Annal. Tom. 6. Qui ex ejus scriptis male perceptis complures evexerunt errores who by mistaking of what he had written brought in many pernicious errors and avouched him for their Author Why do you transgresse the commandment of God by your tradition Mat. 15.3 2 Thes 2.15 Hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle Read Mat. 15.6 Mark 7.3 5 8 9 13. Col. 2.8 .1 Pet. 1.18 Gal. 1.14 2 Thes 2.2 Holy things and places Non revocari possunt ad communem usum quae in sacris usurpantur
fourfooted beasts and creeping things For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God Col. 2.8 for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Therefore beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ It is concluded then that to seek Divinity in Philosophy is to seek the living amongst the dead even as to seek Philosophy amongst Divinity is to seek the dead amongst the living For certainly it is not a natural knowledge either by the notions imprinted in mans mind whereby the conscience is convinced or by the consideration of the creatures that is sufficient unto salvation though enough to leave us without exuse But it must be the revealed knowledge that which is attained by the Word of God wherein God though he dwell in the light which none can attain unto yet hath revealed himself so far as he saw sit son us to understand We shall therefore make the written Word of God the man of our counsel in this present undertaking And seeing the Globe of Divinity parts it self into two hemispheres 1. Credenda 2. Agenda The things we are to know and believe Joh. 13.17 Objectum Theologia religio religion is Deus Armin. in disp theol Thes 1. parag 4. and the things we are to do and perform so said the Doctor of the Chair If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them We shall have respect unto both Seeing also that the prime and chief place of Divinity is concerning God I shall begin with him who is without either beginning of days or end of life Heb. 11.6 For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Joh. 17.3 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent De Deo THere is no Nation under Heaven so barbarous but yields that there is a God It is much ado for Atheism to find a perfect and continual assent in mans heart Some ruines of this truth do still remain in him since the fall And although he may deny all by day his conscience will make him startle by night Protagoras doubted whether there was a God therefore was banished by the Athenians And Diagoras denied flatly that there was a God But leave we such persons to the consure of the Scripture The fool hath said in his heart There is no God The Philosophers I except not the Epicures did with one consent affirm there is a God They called him Nomine Deum Naturâ Spiritum Psal 14.1 Ordine causam primam Perfectione ens divinissimum Motione motorem primum But knew him not Hence Atheniensium Altaris inscripto Deo ignoto Arguments to prove there is a God viz. 1. Consent of the Heathen and confession of all Nations 2. Instinct of nature and natural propensity to worship a God 3. Confession of Atheists themselves 4. Difference and conscience of good and evil received of all 5. The Creation of the World great and little 6. His Providence and the order of things 7. His judgements over some particular men Quid est totus mâ—ndus nisi Dèus explicatus Kingdoms and Common-wealths especially the four Monarchies Quiequid vides quicquid non vides Deus est Whatsoever thou seest and whatsoever thou seest not is God That is all things visible and invisible do express unto thee a Deity and lead thee as by the hand to contemplate heavenly spiritual and eternal things God is known Ex postico tergo lices non ex â—â—tieâ â—aâ—is By his effects adextra though not his Essence ad intra Seculum est speculum Ramus the creation of the world is a glass Rom. 1.20 wherein saith St. Paul we may behold his eternal power and Godhead Which the Divine Poet Paraphrastically Du Bart. The World 's a School where in a general Story God alway reads dumb Lectures of his Glory Every simple man that cannot read may notwithstanding spell that there is a God St. Austin having gone thorow all creatures Solilâ—quiis and seeing in them the Characters of the God-head imprinted and seriously inquiring of them for God Not one or two but all made him this answer with an audible voice Non sum ego sed per ipsum sum ego quem quaris in me I am not he but by him I am whom thou seekest in me It was a good Speech of him who being asked What God was answered Si scirem Deus essem If I knew that I should be a God It far exceedeth the reach of reason and is above created capacity we may stand at gaze and be agast and that is the nearest that we poor finite foolish creatures can approach towards the comprehension of so infinite a Being Dei nomen mirabile nomen Dionysius Omnium supremus altissimorum altissimus Isa 57.17 super omne nomen sed sine nomine Deus est circulus cujus centrum est ubique circumferentia verò nusquam As God is without quality so without quantity Altior est coelo profundior inferno latior terrâ mari diffusior Nusquam est ubique est Deus magnus est sed sine quantitate bonus sed sine qualitate at verò à nobis magnum sine quantitate bonum sine qualitate directe plenè concipi est impossibile Contineâ— omnia tamen non continetur ab aliquo Three ways the Schools mention of knowing of God or rather somthing of God Per viam 1. Causalitatis The prime supreme and universal cause of all good whatsoever 2. Eminentiae Attributing to God whatsoever perfection or worth is in any or all the creatures And that as being in him after a more eminent manner 3. Remotionis When denying of him whatever imperfection and defect is observable in the creature A taste of all these the Apostle giveth us 1 Joh. 1.5 This then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you That God is light and in him is no darkness at all It is subtilly observed by Picus Mirandula That in the Creation of the world God gave the water to the fishes the earth to the beasts the air to the fowls heaven to the Angels And after all these were bestowed he made man according to his own likeness and image That he might say with the Prophet Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Aug. Tract in Johan Si esuris panis tibi est si sitis aqua tibi est si in tenebris es lumen est c. Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia 1 Cor. 8.5 6. For though there be that are called whether in heaven or in earth as there be gods
and Physician to their unavoidable ruine Exempla hujus Peccati Saul Judas Arrius item Julianus Apostata But it is indeed difficult to judge of this sin Sine rarishmis inspirationiâ—us Beâ— because now in this Age of the Church the spirit of discerning is not so distributed as of old Manasses for many years furiously persecuted the Word of God erected abominable Idols and shed much innocent blood in Jerusalem whereby this sin was incoated but not consummate because at last he came to have Repentance given him Take heed of three things principally 1. Of every beginning of evil of denying Christ though but through infirmity so far Peter was in a dangerous way and it was time for Christ to look at him Satan teacheth his children first to go and then to run 2. Of acting wilfully and willingly against the known Truth of the Gospel there are sins of frailty through impotency and of simplicity through ignorance but take heed of sins of malignity through envy this is Giant-like to war against God 3. Of continuing to sin against conscience A man may sin till it be as impossible for him to repent as to come out of Hell being once plunged there Most justly may it be said of the man committing this sin what once most unjustly by Paul Away with him from the earth its pity that such a one should live There is a sin unto death 1 John 5.16 All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him Mat. 12.31 32. but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this World neither in the World to come Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins Psal 19 13. let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression Sinners By one man sin entred into the World Non intelligendum hoc de exemplo imitationis sed de contagio propagationis Johan Polyand praefat ad Com. Nemo mundus à peccato coram te nèc infans cujus est unius diei vita super terram Aug. Imbecillitas enim infantilium innocens est non animus infantium God at the first created men with their faces as it were turned towards himself that is doing his Will But now they are like him whom a wicked spirit is said to have caught by the pate and wrested his neck about that his face stood behind his back Fixa mutari nescia nam quis Peccandi finem posuit sibi quando recepit Ejectum semel attritâ de fronte pudorem Quisuam hominum est quem tu contentum videris uno Flagitio The three sorts of dead raised by our Saviour aptly resemble saith Augustine three sorts of sinners viz. 1. A sinner is dead in the house like Jairu's Daughter when he doth imagine mischief in his mind 2. Perseverare in malo Diabolicum digni sunt perire cum illo quicunque in similitudine ejus permanent in peccaâ—o Bern. A sinner is carried out in the Coffin like the Widows son of Naim when he brings forth ungodliness both in word and in deed 3. But then is he stinking in the Grave like Lazarus if he sin habitually without any remorse drawing iniquity with cords of vanity and heaping up wrath against the day of wrath One said wittily That the angry man made himself the Judge and God the Executioner there is no sinner that doth not the like The Glutton makes God his Eater and himself his Guest and his belly his God especially in the new-found Feasts of this Age in which profuseness and profaness strive for the Tables end The lascivious man makes himself the lover and as Vives said of Mahomet God the Pandor The covetous man makes himself the Usurer and God the Broker The ambitious man makes God his state and honour his God Of every sinner God may say justly as once by the Prophet Servire me fecisti Isa 43.24 Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins yea with the Salvages of Calecutt they place Satan in the Throne and God on the Footstool If Zions Daughter converse with sinners she ties her self to the bondage of iniquity Deaths Garden brings forth no other flowers but death The Rose of pride buds forth vanity envies wormwood is but bitterness the fair lilly of luxuriousness is but sorrow and contrition the stinging Nettle of careful avarice is but dolouâ— and affliction There is the soul the Daughter of Deity like a Bond-slave led into captivity from danger to danger vice to vice sin to sin thought to thought from thought to consent from consent to delight from delight to custom from custom to hardness of heart from thence to an evil death and from an evil death to damnation We may say of every sinner as Salust said of Catiline Magnâ vi animi fecit sed ingenio malo pravóque Sinners resemble those Monsters that are half like men and half like beasts Sinners may think they see God to favour them but 't is but imaginary as we read of Brutus that he saw his own Angel They are like mad men who imagine many things which indeed are not Wickedness overthroweth the sinner Prov. 13.6 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged It shall not be well with him neither shall he prolong his dayes which are as a shadow Eccl 8.12 13. because he feareth not before God The sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed Isa 65.20 Guilt of sin The priviledge of greatness neither must nor will be any subterfuge for guiltiness Guilt of sin increaseth as sin is propagated therefore the sorrow of sin comes with much and daily addition For as he is an happy man who can be a beginner in good things having a share in all the good that follows the beginning even when he is gone So cannot he but be a most unhappy man who is a Ring-leader in evil for as it is easie to set fire on an house but not so easie to quench it so he hath begun mischief and all the sins and evils of that unhappy spark committed many Generations after him shall be upheaped on him to his greater condemnation Men may communicate in other mens sins divers wayes By counsel and advice when though another is the hand yet thou art the head and adviser Absalom committed the incest but by the counsel of Achitophel And the daughter of Herodias is the mouth that said Give me John Baptists head but it was by the counsel of her mother By commandment 1. Whether by word Doeg murdered the Priests of the Lord but it was Saul's fact who commanded him The high Priests servants struck Paul but their stroak was their Masters for he commanded it and Paul deals
Such as a Divine saith very well may be compared to those that being of a cold and flegmatick stomack eat hard and cholerick meats Well they may please their palates but it cannot be for their health and may justly fear to have their meat sauced and drink spiced with the bitter wrath of God Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit Sacriledge Rom. 2.22 Mat. 3.8 9. Will a man rob God yet ye have robbed me Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me Prov. 20.25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy Read Joel 3.5 Dan. 5.23 24 c. Tythes Bellarmine contendeth that Tythes are due to the Ministery Non jure divinâ— sed ecclesiastico Yet he alloweth that in some sense it may be affirmed that they are due jure divino 1. Quoad substantiam non quantitatem 2. Si addatur ecclesiae determinatio 3. That the very quantity is due jure divino non ex vi juris divini sed ex vi juris ecclesiastici These are nothing else but starting-holes For it is a firm and immoveable truth that the very Quantity is due to the Ministers of the Gospel whether the Church determine it or not for Gods institution dependeth not on the constitution of the Church Tythes they say are Jewish But if Melchisedech of whom afterwards tythed Abraham by the same right whereby he blessed him And if Tythes by all laws of God Nature and Nations have been hallowed to God as Junius and other Modern Divines argue and alleadge And if things consecrated to Gods service may not be alienated It will appear to be otherwise They are due to the Ministers of the Gospel not of alms or of benevolence but of justice we have a right and interest to them The labourer is worthy of his hire A beggar is not worthy of alms When ye give a labourer his hire ye give him but his due All are to pay high and low rich and poor because it belongs ad justitiam commutativam in quà non consideratur conditio personae sed qualitas rei ad rem Give to Cesar the things that are Cesar's and to God the things that are God's Caesari tributa Deo decimas Nay more Decimae non dantur clericis quia boni sunt sed quia clerici sunt sicut tributa dantur regibus non quia probi sed quia reges sunt How chearfully then ought ye to give it to them that are faithful and diligent in the work of the Lord But if any man list to be contentious we have no such custom nor the Churches of God This is a thing controversal in this last and wicked age of the world wherein charity waxeth cold as to all in general so to the Ministers in special But it may be sufficiently evinced out of the Word of God We need not saith one stand to mans Courtesie for then in most places we should have a Cursie Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things 1 Cor. 9.13 14. live of the things of the temple and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar Even so Note that hath the Lord ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel Simony Qui vendunt vel emunt praebenda Ecclesiarum dicuntur tales à Simone Simonâ—ales The buying of Spiritual things is so called from Simon Magus his offer The Schoolmen generally define it thus Bâ—â—lâ—fâ—r Est studiosa voluntas emendi vel vendendi aliquod spirituale seu spirituali annexum So not the hand only but the heart commits Simony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There was no Pactum between Simon Magus and the Apostles but only voluntas He made an offer of money to them and that was condemned And if so who then in this Age almost can say he is assured to have a good conscience in this thing For the branches it is committed four wayes 1. Per pecuniam Sad when Lady Pecunia is the Janitrix to let men into the Church 2. Per adulationem which is venenum mellis dulcedine palliatum 3. Per importunas preces ambientium Est orare ducum species violenta jubendi 4. Per sordidum obsequium Ready to do any base kind of service Whereas the Ambassador of Christ should resemble his Master Christ in the Church Minde Gal. 4.14 Gal. 1.10 Ecclesiastica beneficiâ— nullo modo vendere licet Aquin. quia eis venditis intelliguntur spiritualia venditioni subjici Simonaici tam vendentes quà m ementes spiritualia poenis puniuntur scil infamiâ depositione si sint Clerici excommunicatione si sint Laici Idem If thou comest in by Simony saith Ambrose Caro dominatur populis animae servit daemonibus Caro sacerdotium comparavit animâ— detrimentum Paravit I shall shut up this with those Verses which were not amiss to be imprinted in the hearts of all Haec duo damna feres si tu sis Simonis haeres Mortuus ardebis vivus semper egebis Simon offered them money saying Give me this power Act. 8. But Peter said unto him Thy money perish with thee Thy heart is not right in the sight of God c. Things indifferent Sunt autem res mediae opera sive actiones quae in sese sive suapte natura nec Bucan nec bonae vel malae sunt sed ex usus ipsarum circumstantiis vel bonae vel malae causentur Aut res indifferentes sive actiones dicuntur quae lege aut verbo Dei neque praecise jubentur neque expressè prohibentur fieri These things indifferent may not be used indifferently But with caution 1. Concerniing Faith that we do nothing with a doubting conscience 2. We must have respect to our brethren whether strong weak or obstinate that we give none offence unto them thereby 3. That Christians do not condemn one another for the using or not using of things of this nature It is a safe rule Quod dubites ne feceris Plin. Epist Mallem praesentia tuta quà m vetera pericalosa Tacit In doubtful cases be sure to take the surer side An erroneous Conscience maketh a thing unlawful for actions receive their qualification according to the will of the agents and the will is moved by the thing apprehended If reason judge that thing to be sin and yet the will be carried unto it it is manifest that such an one hath a will to sin and the outward action which is informed by the will whether it be lawful or unlawful in it self is a sin Nihâ—l faciendum de quo dubites necne rectè factum Nothing is to be done Cicer. Ossic l. 1. which thou doubtest whether it may be lawfully done or no said a Heathen man Posse nolle nobile est Forbear for fear of offence unless it be in point of necessary duty for then we may not do evil that good may
fallat blanditur ut nocâ—at bona promittit ut mala tribuat vitam pollicetur ut perimat lucent ejus verba venena tamen sunâ— manifesta Cypr Sunâ— mala mista bonis sunt bona mista malls Vitate 〈◊〉 qui oves à Pastore secernunt Cypâ— wherein saith a pregnant Author they can vent a spittle of diseased opinions and whereby they deceive the hearts of the simple It is not safe therefore to hear or hold discourse with such lest they insinuate and infect as the Montanists did Tertullian the Valentinians divers well-affected Christians And as Acacius did Anastatius second Bishop of Rome False teachers some truths they will teach the better to perswade to their falshoods As one saith wittily together with the gold silver and Ivory of Orthodox Tenets they have store of Apes and Peacocks As in Solomons ships 1 King 10.22 Libert as prophetandi is much challenged by Arminius and other Sectaries But if in matter of Religion every man should think what he lists and utter what he thinks and desend what be utters and publish what he defends and gather disciples to what he publisheth this liberty or licentiousnesse rather would soon be the bane of any Church But who shall hinder Quid Imperatori cum Ecclesia was a question moved by the old Donatists and our new Dolts Answ The power spoken of Deut. 13. is still in the Christian Magistrate to inflict capital punishment on grosse Hereticks such as Servetus at Geneva and Campian here c. And this they may in time be convinced of Persecution and Prosecution may be easily differenced when they begin to see both themselves and their webs spider-like swept down by the hand of Justice There were false Prophets among the people 2 Pet. 2.1 2. even as there shall be false teachers among you And many shall follow their perniâ—iâ—râ—â— wayes c. Of the Sibyls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Q. Jovis consilioâ—â—m conscia Heyl. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 recepit quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aeolicè pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Jovis consilium vel conciliaria Alii a Kabala a Kibel i.e. Doctrin a divinitus promulgata animisque hominum sanctorum à Deo infusa Est autem generale nomen enthearum puellarum i. e. numine deorum afflatarum Concerning their number and names Authors do much vary Some common pieces make them twelve that is Sibylla Delphica Erythraea Samia Cumana Cumaea or Cimmeria Hellespontiaca Lybica Phrygia Tiburtina Persica Epirotica and Aegyptica Others precisely ten leaving out the two last And others make them far fewer So that in the enumeration of them I perceive learned men are not satisfied and many conclude an irreconcileable uncertainty Neither will I much meddle with their pictures which are very common and such I think with Dr. Brown as pleased the Painter For touching their age they are generally described as young women which History will not allow The Sibyl Virgil speaking of Anus quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sine mente being termed by him Longaeva Sacedos Another is termed Anus that is properly no woman of ordinary age but full of years and in the dayes of dotage as some do Etymologyze the word And it was thought of one that she doted with old age so that as saith my Author with the same reason they may delineate old Nestor like Adonis Haecuba with Helen's face and time with Absoloms head Hae omnes de nativitate lequebantur salvatoris nostri Nascetur Propheta absque matris coitu ex utero ejus Cosmograph l. 2. And for their Prophesies of Christ have been in high esteem Insomuch that Munster hath this saying Cum notamus quid certum indubitatum ob certitudinem infallibilitatem qua in Oraculis hisce Sibyllinis semper fuit inventa dicimus Sibyllae folium est as true as Sibylla's Oracle Bâ—â—an placeth them with the Prophesie of Balaam and Caiaphas concerning Christ and the mysteries of mans salvation and saith of them all thus A deo esse profectâ— ipsis vel non intelligentibus vel aliud cogitantibus suggesta ut tum Gentes Loc. Com. 78. tum Judaei increduli suor um etiam hominum convincerentur redderentur inexcusabiles ideóque vaticinia illa â—udienda quiae oraculis Prophetarum sunt consentanea Yet it is to be feared that such persons though Gods word did passe from them as the speech that 's uttered through a Trunk did not beleeve nor eat the word they spake no more than Plato Seneca and other Heathens in their divine sentences It is conceived that those wise men mentioned Mat. 2. had heard of Jesus Christ the true morning starre either from the Chaldaean Sibyl or from the Jewes in the Babilonish captivity or from the prophesie of Balaam for he was an East-countrey-man and uttered a very clear and comfortable Prophesy of the Messiah by whom himself received no benefit Thus God hath spoken through persons not of the best as the Angel spake in Balaams Asse In impiis quandoqâ—e sunt doâ—ae Dei sinê Deo Wholesome sugar may be found in a poisoned Cane a precious stone in a Toads head and a flaming torchin a blind mans hand wherby others may receive benefit though himself receive none Yea some wicked men have greater common gifts than the godly as many mettals are brighter and more orient than the heavens This spake he not of himself John 11.51 Read Numb 23. 24. Psal 68.18 Mat. 7.22 c. Christ our Saviour Nomen Iesu salut is beneficiuâ— quod ab illo expeâ—t aâ—dum deâ— notat Concerning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Cicero Hoc verò quantum est ita magnum ut latino uno verbo exprimi non possit The Greek word for Saviour is so emphatical that other tongues can hardly find a fit word to expresse it There are Saviours in the History Such were the Judges and afterwards Judas Macchabeus and Hircanus and such a one was Flaminius the Roman Hluâ— in Flam. to the poor Argives who therefore called him Saviour Saviour and that with such a courage Vt corvi fortuito super volantes in stadium deciderent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the birds fell to the earth amazed with that out-cry the ayr was so dissipated with their acclammations And there are also Saviours in the Mystery Christs Ministers are called Saviours because God maketh use of their Ministry for the good of them that are Heirs of salvation Hence are those expressions 1 Tim. 4.16 Jam. 5.20 Job 33.24 c. Let Ministers hence learn both their dignity and duty Yet true it is Christ to speak properly is the sole both Soveraigne and Saviour of his body the Church Is nimirum soter est qui salutem dedit Sed servatores dicuntur saith Mercer but they are called Saviours because they preach the word of this salvation
school so so should Gods Word all carnal reasonings The Word hath a twofold working 1. Proper to convert confirm quicken grace and save 2. Accidental through Satan and our corruption to harden and make worse 2 Cor. 2. We must labour to keep Gods Word 1. In memory Pro. 4.21 Deut. 4.9 In cujus corde est lex Dei imaginatio mala non habet in eum dominium Eaten bread is soon forgotten 2. In affection Psal 119.11 As the Pot of Manna in the Ark. The Rabbines have a saying He who hath the law of God in his heart is armed against evil lusts 3. In practice A special help against forgetfulnesse yea this is the best art of memory The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul Psal 19.7 Confession of Faith Ambrose calls the Creed the Key of the Scriptures The word Simbolum amongst other significations signifieth a ring and well may it be so called the matter whereof is digged out of the rich mines of the Bible refined with the fire of Gods Spirit and accurately framed by the blessed Apostles or rather so called because it is the summe of the Apostles Doctrine yea the wedding Ring as I may say wherein the Minister at our baptisme wedds us to Christ The Creed Presents us mainly with The act of faith I Beleeve wherein note the 1. Particularity I we speak particularly in the Creed I Beleeve whereas in the Lords Prayer we speak plurally Our Father because charity doth require us to pray one for another but we cannot beleeve nor confess one for another Hab. 2.4 For Spiritually as well as corporally each one must live by his own and not by anothers food and Physick As also because no man knows what is in anothers heart 1 Cor. 2.11 2. The formality I beleeve in for there are distinctions viz. Credere Deum to beleeve there is a God Deo to beleeve God In Deum to beleeve in God The very Devils do the first Multi mali do the second But onely a true beleever doth the last Credendo amare Credendo in eum ire credendo ei ad haerere The Object of faith God 1. Essentially in name God in attributes Almighty maker of heaven and earth 2. Personally the Father Son and Holy Ghost Further in this Creed are observable 1. The Articles which are twelve that is in common account though not a like distinguished and expressed by all men in the total number or the particular enumeration In all which there is both the confession of one God in three Persons and of the Church with her Prerogatives 2. The assent in the word Amen which is a setting to of our seal in point of beleeving because it is a word not onely of wishing but of assurance Of which in the next place Fables are not without Moralls A man must have a Personality of Faith as well as of devotion There is an old Legend of a Merchant who never would go to Mass but ever when he heard the Saints bell he said to his wife pray thou for thee and me Upon a time he dreamed that he and his wife were dead and that they knocked at Heaven-gates for entrance St Peter the feigned Porter suffered his wife to enter in but shut him out saying Illa intravit pro se te As she went to Church for thee so she must go to heaven for thee also With the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse Rom. 10.10 and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Amen This word is taken in Scripture three wayes Viz. 1. Nominaliter 2. Verbaliter 3. Adverbialiter As a noun and so 't is as much as true or truth thus it is taken in the end of the Gospels and elsewhere Rev. 3.14 As a Verb and then is as much as So be it in which sense it is taken in the end of the Lords Prayer and in divers other places Deut. 27.15 c. As an Adverb signifying verily and so often used by our Saviour Nec Graecum est In Joh. tract 41 nec Latinum saith Aug. It is neither a Greek word nor a Latine but an Hebrew word Et mansit in interpretatum and by the Providence of God remaines uninterpreted ne vilesceret nudatum lest haply being unfolded it should be lesse esteemed As Hallelujah Hosanna c. It is Particula confirmantis In Psal 40. Signaculum orationis Jerom a Particle of confirmation as Ambrose well observeth So be it So be it The Lord grant it may be so It must in a fervent Zeal be the shutting up of all our prayers It was doubled by the people Neh. 8.6 when Ezra praised the Lord the great God all the peeple answered Amen Amen With lifting up their hands and no doubt their hearts too Lam. 3.41 As the Church saith We mill lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the Heavens If the hand be lifted up without the heart it is an hypocritical Amen and unacceptable unto God Dictio est acclamationis approbationis confirmationis The Rabbines say that our Amen in the close of our Prayers must not be 1. Hasty but with consideration 1 Cor. 14.16 2. Nor mained or defective we must stretch out our hearts after it and be swallowed up in God 3. Nor alone or an Orphan that is without faith love and holy confidence The spirits of the whole prayer are contracted into it and so should the spirit of him that prayeth It is either prefixed or preposed to a sentence Christus Amen utitur quinquagies Gerrard and so it is a note of a certain and earnest asseveration Or else it is affixed and opposed and so it is a note either of assent or assurance Of assent and that either of the understanding to the truth of that that is uttered as in the end of the Creed and Gospels or of the will and affections for the obtaining of our petitions Of assurance next as in the Lords Prayer and many other places It is the voice of one that beleeveth and expecteth that he shall have his prayers granted And then it is as much as So be it yea so it shall be It is used in all languages Aâ—nsw to betoken unity of faith and spirit The poor misled and muzled Papists are enjoined not to join so far with a Protestant in any holy action Specul Europ as to say Amen Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting and to everlasting Amen and Amen Psal 41.13 Preaching Praedicatio verbi est medium gratiae divinitùs institutam quo res regni Dei publicè explicantur applicantur populo ad salutem â—â—ifitatiâ—nem Melanchton said the work of three sorts of persons was very difficult Viz. Regentis Parturientis Docentis A woman may not teach in the publique Assemblies be she never so learned or godly I do not render you Chrysostoms reason The woman taught once In 2 Tim 1.12 and
marred all therefore she must teach no longer Some women indeed have been servants of the Church but they were Deaconisses to minister to the sick Dr. Bastwick against Indepen and such like Not Praedicantisses to preach or have Peters Keyes at their girdles Requiritur in Praedicatore Audacia Preces Labor diligentia Jeremiah was not timerous when the Priests the people the Kings resisted his words but he was bould even unto death and you see that which at first they despised at the second preaching they willingly embraced Vid. Cap. 26.8 11 16. A preacher also must not onely instruct his people but also pray for them neither must he be so bold as to take Gods glory from him by saying so or so shall it happen but if the Word of the Lord be with him he will intreat And withal he must be diligent and laborious Ministers must not be married to their Livings as our Church had man and wife married for ever hereafter to hold their peace Too many notwithstanding there were if not still are who like Elocution a Romish god will never hold their peace till they have a Temple dedicated to them but after they have obtained seldome or never are heard to speak again Praedicat vivà voce qui predicat vita voce he doth preach most that lives best As it was said of John Baptist Cum miraculum nullum fecerit perpetuum fuit ipse miraculum A good man doth alwayes preach though he never come in the Pulpit whereas such a Minister as is no where a Minister but in the Church is like Achitophel who set his house in order and then hanged himselfe The Word preached is like Aarons rod if in the preachers hand it is comely but if he cast it from him it will prove a serpent But if the Preacher be a wicked man Vvam carpe spinam cave Consider what he saith not what he doth Hear him as long as he sits in Moses chaire but meddle not with him sitting in the seat of the scornful De scriptis Gentilium libenter assumit Ecclesia Innocent 3. l. 4. De sacr Alt. myst c. 4. siquid in â—eis probe dictum vel factum agnoscit tanquam mulieris captiva resecat ungues pilosque superfluos ut ab alienâ superstuitate mundata thalamumque veritatis digna sit introire Thomas the Apostle converted the Indians as Vesputius witnesseth Whose text was always Mat. 10.34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth I came not to send peace but a sword He and his company preached so powerfully that the hearers have wept and bled and died for hearing their doctrine Of Chrysostome in his preaching it is said he was used not Aures titillare but corda pungere not to tickle mens eares but to prick their hearts He stoutly told Eudoxia the Empresse that for her covetousnesse she would be called a second Jesabel and to her threatning message he answered go tell her Nil nisi peccatum timeo I am affraid of nothing but sin He so took with hearts that when he should have been silenced the people cryed out Satius est ut sol non luceat quà m non doceat Chrysostomâ—s It were better the sun should not shine than that Crysostome should not teach Austin wished when Christ came he might find him Aut precantem aut praedicantem It s storied of Bonaventure his words were not inflantia but inflammantia Of Wallaus that when he left Middleborough it seemed rather the children were to part with their father than people with their Pastor Dionisius Areopagita begged these two things of God 1. That he might know the truth himself 2. And that he might preach it as he ought to others A congregation or multitude of several tempers and conditions said Greg. Naz. is like an Harp of many strings hard to give every one a touch in preaching especially as may please all and offend none Many will hear the Preacher for a little as the People did Jeremy but if he please them not Populus expetant placentia please them not they will even go so far in malice as they will rise up against him and seek his life But they who find fault with the Ministers for preaching damnation to the wicked come somewhat neer that Blasphemy of Alphonsus King of Spain who said That if he had been at the Creation he would have made things better than now they are He found fault with Gods works these with his word If they had penned the Scriptures I suppose it would have been without damnation A Bucket either above or beside the cock gets no water and people that are either above or withdraw from the Ordinances Ruth 2. get no benefit If Ruth will glean eares of corn she must keep in Boaz field and close by his servants Cry aloud Isa 58.1 spare not lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins Preach the word 2 Tim. 4.2 be instant in season out of season Necessity is laid upon me 1 Cor. 9.16 yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel Eloquence There is the vein of speaking and there is vain speaking It is reported of Cyneas that he conquered more Cities by his Eloquence than his Master Pyrrhus did by his puissance Jerome stiled Eusebius Romani Eloquii tubam Paul's speech and preaching was not with wisedome of words nor with entising words of mans wisedome Floridè potius qâ—à m solidè Ut placeret quà m ut doceret Sanctè magis quà m scitâ— but in demonstration of the spirit and of power And truely it is not good to put the sword of the Spirit into a velvet scabbard that it cannot pierce More to tickle the ear than to affect the heart It repented Austin as well it might that when he was young he had preached more to please than to profit The window must not be so painted as to keep out the light Gods holy things must be handled with fear and reverence rather than with wit and dalliance Yet there is a lawful use of Rhetorick in Sermons so it be free from ostentation Let Ministers set out the Word of God as skilfully and adornedly as they can so as they still aym at the winning of souls Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci. It 's excellent at once both to please and profit both to tickle the ear and take the heart The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words Eccles 12.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verba desideâ—i Contempt Judaeis primum erat apud Deum gratia sed illi negligentes indisciplinati superbi postmedum facti fiducia patrum inslati dum divina praecepta contemnunt datam sibi gratiam perdiderunt Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia Good turns aggravate unkindnesses and mens offences are encreased by their obligations Ideò deteriores sumus saith Salvian
lives Sadduces Never a barrel better herring These were a brutish sect and sort of the Jews that held monstrous opinions some of them are set down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erasm Adag Act. 23.8 divers others more grosse may be read of in Josephus Amongst other they held that all the reward that righteous men are to look for is here in this world The occasion is said to be this when Antigonus taught R. Nathan that we must not serve God for wages his scholars understood him as if he had utterly denied all future rewards or recompence attending a godly life And thence framed their heresie denying the Resurrection world to come c. Herodians They were such as were of Herods Religion as one would say of the Kings Religion because they followed the Decrees and examples of the Emperors Some will have it they were a sect of people who said Sic Tertul. Epiphan Chrysost Theophylact. Hieron uno ore affirmant Herod was the Messias because by the Decree of the Roman Senate when the Scepter departed from Judah he was declared King Nicolaitans They were a sect of Hereticks which sprung up about fifty years after Christ Many think they arose of Nicolas one of the seven Deacons Perhaps of some other Nicolas or at most that under that name they vented their damnable and poisonful doctrine These held all bodily lusts lawful a promiscuous use of women and with their bodily whoredom they maintained spiritual In a word they taught and practised such beastly filthiness Aug. as is not to be named Rev. 2.14 15. Pelagians From a Monk of Bangor Morgan by name Hence Aug. Quid eo Pelago vult mergi Pelagius unde per petram liberatus est Petrus who travelling beyond sea to spread his heresie called himself Pelagius by a Greek word of the same signification because it sounded better in the ears of forraign Nations Vbiquitarians This fiction began about the time of Berengarius was fostered and furthered by Gerson Chancellor of Paris But this being cast out of France Luther brought back into the Churches of Germany c. But well said that good woman who being asked by the Bishops Dost thou believe that the body of Christ is really and substantially in the Sacrament Act. and Mon. I believe said she that that is a real and substantiallie Arminians The followers of Arminius maintaining a propitiation made or a sacrifice offered by Christ for all And leaving the death of Christ in the hand of mans free-will assisted onely by general grace to make it effectual to himself or not Antinomians Istebius Agricola was the first who with his followers held unsound opinions That the Law and works belong onely to Rome That St. Peter understood not Christian liberty Sentiunt Christianis non ampliùs lege Dei morali opus esse nec Decalogum in Ecclesiâ Christianá praedicandum quia fideles sunt per spiritum renati when he wrote Make your calling and election sure That good works were Perniciosa ad salutem c. with such trash All which he afterwards condemned and recanted in a publick Auditory but relapsed after Luthers death into the same error He hath at this day many followers holding the like and other strange opinions That God is never displeased with his people though they fall into adultery or the like sin no not with a fatherly displeasure That God never chastiseth his people for any sin no not with a fatherly chastisement That God seeth no sin in his Elect that the very being of sin is abolished out of Gods sight that they cannot sin and if they do it is not they but sin that dwelleth in them which was once an answer of a female Antinomian Mr. â—ey his light for smoke when demanded by her Mistresse how stollen linnens and other things came into her chest although at first stifly denied Millenaries They are not content to affirm that after the fall of Antichrist the Jews all have a glorious conversion and the whole Church such an happy Halcion as never before But also that the Martyrs shall then have their first resurrection and shall with Christ raigne upon earth a thousand years in all worldly delights Homo Ingenii pertenuis c. which seems an addition to the text they ground it upon Rev. 20.4 Or at least such an earthly raign cannot be inferred This is as ancient as Corinthus the heretick and Papias Scholar to Saint John a man much reverenced for opinion of his holinesse but saith Eusebius not oppressed with wit Anabaptists Quo hominum genere Rhenan in Ep. ante opera Origen nihil inanius nihil pestilentius nihil exitialius hic orbis vidit unquam One of late saith Anabaptists play the Devils part in accusing their own children and disputing them out of the Church and Covenant of Christ affirming them to be no disciples no servants of God nor holy when God saith the contrary 1 Cor. 7.14 Ranters Speaking great swelling words of vanity they assure through the lusts of the flesh Joh. Manl. loc com 322. 490. As the Arrians Negunt fiâ—ium de essentiâ patris genitum coaeternum ceaequalem secundum personam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patri And many moe through much wantonnesse those that were clean for a little or a while as some read escaped from them who live in errour Heâ—serus and Monetarius corrupted many matrons whom they had drawn to their side David George a ring-leader amongst them was so far from accounting adulteries fornication incest c. to be sins that he did recommend them to his most perfect scholars as acts of grace and mortification And are not our Ranters as they call themselves come up to him and gone beyond him in their most prodigious opinions and practices I might be infinite but enough of that which is worse than nothing I being as weary of mentioning them as Rebecca was of conversing with the daughters of Heth. All these can conspire against the truth though they cannot consent among themselves Dr. Featly But as mettal upon mettal is no good Heraldry so error upon error is no good Divinity Errors are best discerned when most incurable Ye therefore 2 Pet. 3.17 beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastnesse Heresie The best of men may erre from the truth James 5.19 what Saint is recorded in the Word of God whose failings and errours are not recorded Tho Elect may be sometimes led aside Haereticum hominem faciunt haec tria conjuncta Error evictio conâ—â—acta yet not totally nor finally and very hardly into grosse errours Mat. 24.24 Heresie saith one Est impugnare Dei veritati cum perseverantiâ Another there must be in it Error in ratione pertinatio in voluntate Best of all thus An errour strictly and properly taken is
Decor corporis It hath parts civil and parts effeminate For Neither gold nor precious stone so glistereth saith Plato as the prudent mind of a pious person Nothing so beautifieth as grace doth cleanness of body was ever esteemed to proceed from a due reverence to God to society and to our selves As for artificial decoration it is well worthy of deficiency being neither fine enough to deceive nor handsom to use nor wholsom to please Behaviour seemeth to me as a garment of the mind and to have the conditions of a garment It ought to be made in fashion it ought not to be too curious It ought to be shaped so as to set forth any good making of the mind and hide any deformity and above all it ought not to be too strait or restrained for exercise or motion Too much outward neatness saith one is a signe of inward nastiness The Kings daughter is all glorious within Psal 45 13. Food Animantis cujusque vita est in fuga Were it not for the repair of nutrition the natural life would be extinguished The Latines call Bread Panis of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is the chief nourishment In pane conclusus est quasi baculus qui nos sustineat therefore called the staff of bread yet without Gods blessing it can no more nourish us than a clod of clay God can out of stones raise up children unto Abraham yea God out of Christ Jesus the Corner-stone hath raised up the children of Abraham And whereas Sathan said to Christ Command these stones to be made bread He himself the chief Corner-stone of his Church is the bread of life that came down from heaven Meat doth not nourish by its own power but by Gods appointment Else it would be more likely to choak than to feed But his word of command is able to soften stones Fides famem non formidat and make poyson to be both meat and medicine Therefore if bread fail feed on faith Daniel and his fellows their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the Kings meat Mat. 4.4 God hath given us the creature Beza not only for necessity but for delight Deus multa plura condidit quibus facilè carere possemus quà m quibus necessariò nobis opus est Our Saviour Christ himself was at a feast in Cana of Galilee where when wine failed he supplied it by miracle But have a care we turn not this liberty into wantonness being the most wicked when we should be most thankful and grieving God most when he gives us both occasion and means of rejoycing And let us mind our selves ab ovo ad mala that our hearts be not drowned in the creature and that we make not our belly our God It is said Aves propter viles escas gratias agunt tâ— preciosissimis opulis pasceris ingraâ—us es Tettul the Elephant turns up the first sprig towards heaven when he comes to feed God is the great House-keeper of the world providing sustenance for all from the greatest to the least from the Elephant to the Mouse from the Eagle to the Sparrow from the Whale to the Shrimp He carves them out their meet measures of meat and at sit seasons Of him they have it per causarum concatiuationem The eyes of all wait upon thee Psal 145.15 16. and thou givest them their meat in due season Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing Sleep A certain Commander finding the Centinel asleep slew him saying Mortuum inveni mortuum reliqui The Night and Sleep are well called Malorum domitrices the conquerors of evil and victors over sorrow Hence Christ Mat. 6.34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of it self sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof Sleep is the sweet Parenthesis of nature a medicine for all diseases They are likeliest to sleep who together with their clothes can put off their cares And say as Lord Burleigh did when he threw off his gown Lie there Lord Treasurer Sweet sleep is not from a soft bed or an easie couch but from the especial blessing of God therefore let us bless God for it and not our beds A good nights rest is the good gift of God and deserves daily acknowledgments by man So he giveth his beloved sleep Psal 127.2 Dream When men are plunged in sleep and are as it were neither in the number of the living nor the dead Then many times the Reasonable soul cometh into the shop of Phantasie and there doth strange works which are vented in our Dreams A Dream is an imagination which the mind of man conceiveth in sleep For the causes and kinds of Dreams they are either 1. Natural from the temper or distemper of the body Or 2. Moral as a man works in the day his fancy works in the night Or 3. Divine The Scripture is full of instances Or 4. Diabolical permitted the Devil causeth sometimes filthy and sinful Dreams Aug. confes l. 10. c. 30. It is conceived by some that the Dream of Pilat's wife Mat. 27.19 was from the Devil because thereby he would have hindered the work of mans Redemption Richard the Third after the murther of his two innocent Nephews and Charls the Ninth of France after the Parasian Massacre had such dreadful Dreams that they became a terror to themselves and to all about them But to instance in better men Calvin being sick of the Gout dreamed Bez. in vit that he heard a great noise of Drums beaten up most vehemently as they use to be in warlike marches Pareus that he saw all Heidelbergh on a thick smoke but the Prince's Palace all on a light fire Phil. Paâ— in vit David Par. operib ejus praefixd The Antients funcied that a Dream had wings like a bird of the air Antiqui somnium Deum fingebant volatilem c. it is so speadily gone Hence a wicked mans joy is but the joy of a Dreamer which quickly vanisheth A beggar dreameth of gold but he awaketh and his purse is empty The prisoner dreameth of liberty but he awaketh and findeth himself in irons Such is the wicked man in his prosperity As a dream when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shult Psal 73.20 despise their image Eccl. 5.7 Isa 29.8 Life present Our life is Davids span seventy years half spent in sleep so thirty five remain Abate then days of youth and childhood which Solomon calls vanity in some old age in which we take no pleasure with our dayes of grief which we wish had never been Deduct these the time of sleep youth age sorrow and only a span remains Prosper said to them that wept about him The life I have enjoyed was but given me upon condition to render it up again not grudgingly but gladly Gods child
Idolatry For whatsoever is undertaken for Religion sake as an honor unto God beside the command of God is plain Idolatry therefore altogether unlawful Again All religious distinction of place is taken away once Christ is come The Veil of the Temple is rent in the midst Worship God in holiness and 't is now no matter where we worship God Paul and Silas prayed and praised God at midnight in the prison 1 Tim. 2.8 Act. 16. I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting Pray every where for every where where thou prayest God is present by his grace He is over thee he is under thee he is before thee and behind thee he is on every side of thee We cannot say now as once Jacob said Surely God is in this place and I knew it not but Surely God is in this place and every place and I know it and I know that therefore I must worship God in this and every place He that thinks otherwise is procul à Jove far from God Where two or three are gathered together in my name there will I be in the midst of them saith our Saviour In medio virtus The power of the most High will stand in the centre of them that are gathered in his name be where it will God will not contend for place Bring him a good heart any where and it 's all he requires at our hands My son give me thy heart It is likewise unlawful in the End because going to the earthly Jerusalem or Rome or other places ordained for the like Superstition by Antichrist they think to merit the Heavenly Jerusalem But I am assured they are never the neerer it by going thither or any other the like place These Vagabonds for so I may term them that run from place to place in that manner steal from Christ to adde to Superstition Life eternal is in the hands of Christ and therefore his gift And they going another way to foot out their salvation foot it the wrong way for Christ is the onely way Joh. 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life Furthermore It is unlawful because it is done to the Reliques and Images of dead men They think to live by the dead they shall have but a dead life on 't Thus while they go to do homage unto the dead they rob the living God of his honor by the way For they expect a remission of their sins by the intercession and merits of those dead whose Reliques or Images they trudge so to adore And whereas they run to the custom of the Church it is very false the true Church of God never used it For Pilgrimage undertaken to the Reliques of the Dead was not used in the Primitive Church until three hundred years after Christ and that unto Images six hundred years only by some but both condemned for dead services Lastly It is unlawful because it is profitable neither to body or soul neither of them that wander thus with aking heels nor others it tends no way to Christian edification there is no goodness in it Therefore such fruitless trees are to be rooted out of Gods growing Temple And thus much for the false doctrine of Papists grounded on these words but falsly but idly I went up to Hierusalem Their other doctrine is That Peter had the Supremacie of Paul because the Text saith he went to see Peter Here we may observe the absurd dealing of the Adversary who to patch up their ragged coat of Popery do fain quidlibet ex quolibet as if to be visited doth argue a Primacie And here the Rhemists as one calls them Gagling Geese make a distinction of Visitation He went not up say they to see him in a vulgar manner but for respect and honor of his person and of duty and as Chrysostom noteth the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to import to behold him as men behold a thing or person of name excellency or majesty Chrysost These are their very words Indeed that he came of honor and reverence to him may be easily granted but every reverence argues not a superiority for reverence saving their reverences may be done to equals They say again he did it as his duty but there is no such matter This can be as soon denied as affirmed He came about his office and authority in preaching For he was equal in honor unto him saith a Father and again saith the same Chrysost That blessed man went not to learn any thing of him nor to receive any correction but only to see him and honour him with his presence Ambrose tells us Ambros he went to see Peter for affection of Apostleship that Peter might know that the same licence was given unto him that he himself had received and hence he is called his Fellow-Apostle and had a Fellowship in the Colledge of the Apostles as well as Peter As for that place so often quoted by them Mat. 16. Thou art Peter and upon this rock c. It proves not a superiority in another above the rest of the Apostles For as one saith of that place All the Logicians in the world cannot conclude in lawful Syllogism out of the words of that Chapter That any greater authority was granted to Peter than to every one of the Apostles A primacie of order and promptness of faith cannot be denied him but none of dignity And here the Rhemists again play upon the name Peter signifying a Rock a Stone hence they make him to be the Foundation of the Church and therefore the Principal Apostle If they mean his Person they are far deceived If his Confession Thou art Christ the Son of the everliving God we agree Hence saith one on these words Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church calling a Rock as I think saith he the unmoveable Faith of the Disciple Again If they say that he is the whole Foundation away with that blasphemy they take away Christ the onely Foundation for stedfastness I say for stedfastness for this Foundation Peter did shake fearfully when he denied Christ and he had been ground to powder and fifted as wheat had not Christ prayed for him and make the rest stand for cyphers The Apostles are pillars of the Church and what dignity hath one pillar in a Church more than another Not onely Peter but James and John were called pillars of the Church Gal. 2.9 And when James Cephas that is Peter and John who seemed to be pillars Again the twelve are called twelve foundations Rev. 21.14 Speaking of the new Hierusalem the wall of the City had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. Hence saith Tertullian Tertul. all the Apostles were stones So might Papists say were they not stones Thus we see that Peter had not a Monarchical preheminence of honour above the Apostles Therefore not above Paul
albeit he was his senior Apostle Both of them are called Eodem titulo fundatores Christiani nominis founders of the Christian name Peter among the Jews Paul among the Gentiles And one presumes to call Paul maximum or summum Apostolum the greatest or highest Apostle The reason may be this because he had more revelations than all of them And here the Rhemists because they would not have their foundation pul'd down upon such terms grow to that malapertness that they affirm that the greatest soveraignty in Gods Church Revel 3.7 attributed unto Christ is given to Peter in these words I have the key of David that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth Whatsoever ye bind in earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye loose in earth shall be loosed in heaven It in truth is such blasphemy as a godly man of our Church saith as Peter would have rent his clothes if he had heard any man attribute so much unto him For Christ hath the key of David as the onely true Messias which openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth This Key can no man have except he were a Messias Besides the words are in the Plural number whatsoever ye bind whatsoever ye loose And thus you have the true doctrine concerning these two false doctrines to my poor ability wherein you see not onely the absurdity of the doctrines but also the absurd grounding of them on these words I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter I would not be curious because saith the Philosopher Accurate refellere stultas sententias stultum est It serves first to teach us not to build our faith on a staggering foundation such as man is Christ was faine to pray to God that Peters faith fail him not Other foundation can no man lay 1 Cor. 3.11 than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ. To it let us cleave and not cleave it And secondly whereas Peter is called a rock and the Apostles rocks as they have the true rock in them Christ Jesus It teacheth us to put no difference in respect of authority between them but to give equal respect unto all of them Thirdly all of us are rocks as long as we make this confession Thou art the Son of the ever living God Aug. Sweet was St. Austins Application upon Peters confession which I apply unto every one Endeavour that thou mayest be a rock therefore seek the rock not without thee but within thee thy act is thy rock thy mind is thy rock Let thy house be builded upon this rock that it may not be beaten with any storms of spiritual wickedness Faith is this rock faith is the foundation of the Church if thou be a rock thou shalt be in the Church because the Church is upon a rock All Apostolick and Christian men are rocks saith another This Papists might see were they not rockt asleep on Peter and had not dreamed as a Pope had aut Caesar aut nihil for these words I went up to Hierusalem to see Peter To see him as a friend as a companion not as his Master not as King of the Apostles as Papists would have it but not as God would have it The last part and point here is the time o◠Pauls residence with Peter he adode with him fifteen dayes Fifteen dayes to be better acquainted with him Ipse aspectus boni viri delectat Senec. Hierom. Gods children the children of light should delight in the company of one another Cursed is their company that takes pleasure onely in the company of the cursed But godly is their company that loves the company of the godly Fifteen dayes to conferre with him he had no need of great instruction and therefore tarried but a short time with him fifteen dayes Hence we learn that the most learned may not despise to confer with any of his rank albeit he should excel him in gifts This is a fault and must be mended This conference argues also a mutual consent That both of them were of the same mind and agreement This teacheth the Ministers of Gods Word to be always at an agreement in their opinion and albeit there may arise some difference in matters indifferent yet cleave to the foundation be sure that be not shaken or called into question for the foundation of God is sure How should their people ever be at quiet when their shepheards are at variance and ods No strife no wrangling must take place in Christian hearts lest their hearts be consumed in strife and wrangling Ministers as they are messengers of peace so Ministers of peace and therefore never to fall out Pulchrum est concordia cordis oris Moreover he sets down how long he stayed fifteen dayes to shew the absurdity of those false Apostles that thus vexed his soul For how was it possible that he could learn the Gospel of them in so short a space Where we may observe That it is no easy matter to be a Minister of the Gospel This learning is not so easily attained unto Therefore it is a grosse errour of some that no sooner put off the name of Sophister but puts on the name of Minister If they can reckon up Aristotles five Predicables on their fingers ends presently they fall to predication or preaching It were better wait a while hast makes wast saith the Proverb 〈◊〉 longer and fare better Rome was not built in a day no more can it be 〈◊〉 down in a day Thou mayest thunder against it è Rostris but it is not so soon wasted except thou come well provided Thy fourteen years and thy seven years is time too little to furnish thee be not therefore high-minded but fear but labour but wait a while Fifteen dayes Hierome observes a mystery in the fifteen dayes and if it can be found out in fifteen dayes or in fifteen years it is a mystery These are his words Hoc mysterio hebdomadis ogdoadis futurus Gentium Praedicator instruendus erat This mystery is comprehended under the number of seven and eight Seven indeed is called numerus sacer quietarius sacer because it consists of three which is numerus Dei and four which is numerus mundi numerus virtutum cardinalium quietarius because the seventh day is the Sabbath day the day of rest the seventh year the year of rest so in the seventh moneth the trumpet was to sound to the Jubile after so many Sabbaths as make up seven times seven years Levit. 25. which makes forty nine years So eight is called primus numerus and summus in harmonia Thus I have spelled put together who can I cannot And therefore rather than I will be vainly curious in seeking out a mystery where under correction I think there is none I leave this seven and eight at six and seven For all mysteries are wrought by Gods extraordinary and special providence But Paul's abiding here with Peter fifteen dayes
ye use the best means by an honest vocation to acquire what may be communicated to your wives necessity And thus much for the precept commanding love As love is enjoyned so is bitternesse prohibited The obligation that women have on men in wedlock is that they are bound to good-behaviour towards them Their conversation and society must be ever sweetned with the best delights that pious souls and affectionate hearts can afford This bitternesse that is to be abandoned doth discover it self in the 1. Affections 2. Speeches 3. Actions In the affections when men grounding an advantage on trifling matters take occasion to grow exasperate and harsh to the weaker vessels which frequently ends either in a deadly hatred or in a languishing and remisse love whereas our love ought to be the same still rather more than lesse like Christs love to his Church ever nourishing and cherishing it In speeches when mens words aim at the reproach and contumely of their wives A thing repugnant to peaceful content and wounds a tender nature worse than a sword and strikes deeper into the heart than poisoned arrowes to which reproachful language is by the Psalmist compared Rather than be of another temper moderate your passions and your tongues Pleasing words best befit those lips that often greet one another with an holy kisse Good words if there be but the least spark of grace extant in the heart will make them pliable to the utmost of your desires and their loves reciprocal In action there is a discovery of bitterness And that is when men shall bear an heavy and tyrannical hand over to their wives either by removing them from their oeconomical government or subjecting them unto their vassals or withdrawing from them what their necessity pleads for or the support of their dignity requires These are symptomes of no candid dealing And yet there is a worse expression of bitterness than all this which is when men through impatience shall lay violent hands upon them But for a man to use her discourteously with blowes whom he hath selected out of all the world to be his familiar causing her to forsake all friends for his sake is flat opposite to reason to amity to nature to civility To beat her is to beat himself than which there cannot be a more unreasonable unfriendly unnatural uncivil part Beside Eve was not made of the foot of man to be troden under but of the rib of man that he might hold her as dear as himself Right dear therefore unto you ought to be your wives upon whom the principal part of your temporal felicity hath certain dependance Love your wives and be not bitter unto them And thus much for the second head the head of the woman which is the man Having thus run over the reciprocal duties of man and wife a word and but a word of the third head And the head of Christ is God God is the head of Christ in regard of his 1. Divinity 2. Humanity In regard of his Divinity and that by eternal generation because he is the generative principle of the Son according to that nature he is God of very God being consubstantial and coessential with the Father So that here is a kind of subjection whence the Arrians assume an inequality of essence whose assumption is most blasphemously untrue for here is only a subjection in regard of order which imports no inequality of nature as the woman is not inferiour unto man in nature which is the same in both but in order only by divine constitution so neither Christ to God God is the head of Christ in regard of his humanity and that foure wayes 1. In respect of perfection the perfection of God is infinite the perfection of Christ as man proceeding from the Father is finite 2. In respect of eminency so God is above Christ as man as the Creator above the creature 3. In respect of influence all the divine graces in the humane nature of Christ were originally derived from God from whom every good and perfect gift doth descend 4. In respect of government for he was anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellowes whereby with the more alacrity he did the will of him that sent him He was fill'd full with the Holy Ghost and so fulfilled all righteousness And thus much concerning these three heads the head of the woman which is man the head of man which is Christ and the head of Christ which is God THE ROYAL REMEMBRANGER OR PROMISES Put in Suit PSAL. 132.1 Lord remember David and all his afflictions AS for the Penman of this Psalme who he should be Expositors aâ—e at variance notwithstanding we may with them are soundest safely Father it on the Father or the Son David or Solomon If on David as Lyra doth the Son put the Fathers work to the Fathers use Faelicis faelix filius ille patris if on Solomon he was thereby his own Fathers Son following his steps happy father happy son David loved God 1 King 2.3 so did Solomon David had a care to instruct his son in the wayes of God Solomon loved the Lord walking in the statutes of his father A president for Kings and their sons For Kings to bring up their sons in the fear of God 1 King 3.3 for Kings sons in the fear of God to obey the King their father Few Kings and few Kings sons are now adayes of this nature happy therefore are these Kingdomes of great Britaine and Ireland that have such a King the son of such a King witnesse daily experience God grant us to make good use of it Well then whether it be David or Solomon the father or the son which was the Author of this Psalm it matters not he was a King and inspired by God yet it seemes rather to be Solomon As for the title of this Psalme it is called Shir Hamagnoloth a song of degrees There is a new song Psal 33.3 there is a song of triumph or thanksgiving for deliverance past such as Moses song after the Israelites had passed through the red sea Exod. 15. Such a song was Deborah's and Baraks after they had delivered Israel from Jabin and Sisera Judg. 5. There is a song of mourning Such a song was Davids for Saul's death 2 Sam. 1. Such a song if we may call it a song is Jeremies Lamentation There is a song of loves whereof we may read Ezek. 33.32 there is a song of joyes such was Hannah's 1 Sam. 2. Such was Elizabeth's John's Mother such was Maries the Mother of Christ such was Zacharies Luk. 1. such was the Angels to the shepheards in the field such was old Simeons Luk. 2. There is Shir Hashirim 1 King 4.32 a song of songs which is Solomons Cant 1. this is but one of a thousand and five which he composed So here is Shir Hamagnaloth a song of degrees Here are fifteen songs of degrees following one the other which are so named
because as Lyra saith that the Levites sung them on the steps or degrees whereby they went up to the Temple for indeed we read that there were such steps whereof if we beleeve Lyra there were fifteen which opinion as unlikely with Luther I passe over But it is probable that they were sung in an high place where they that were appointed to sing might be both better heard and seen As for the time when they were sung it is thought they were sung at the departure of the people out of the temple for an up-shot to their divine service therefore called songs of degrees or ascensions for songs of conclusions because short However Sine periculo bÃc erratur and therefore more fit to conclude with all If it be thus we see the antiquity of this custom of concluding with a Psalme I return to the Author as he was in office in that therefore he was a King that was the inditer of this Psalme we learn this That Rex pâ—us est reipublicae opnamento Kings and Magistrates should be godly They are to have the practice of piety Many I think have it lying by them or in their hands few indeed have it in their hearts Many would have it if they did know how this is the way yet godly wisdom the practice will follow and this is gotten by going to God Mat. 7.7 God doth give the Spirit of wisdom to such as earnestly desire it Ask and it shall be given you Solomons request to God was for wisdom and he gave it him and more than that None was than more wise then Solomon the Queen of Sheba came from the farthest bounds of the earth to hear him discourse And none was then more wealthy or in so great prosperity Prov. 3.16 Bona throni and bona scabelli because none more wise The way then to prosper is to obtain wisdom of God Length of dayes is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Again I gather from hence That Kings and Governours should not dispose the wisdom which God bestows on them to their own private ends but they must make others of the same rank their sons their subjects partakers of it as here David and Solomon did ut Regis ad exemplum that they might conforme themselves to the like godly courses Which may be a counterblast to all those bastards of the whore of Babylon that have snapped at the credit of some Princes witnesse K. James of blessed memory saying that he was more fit to be a Divine than a King Blind leaders of the blind why not both I mean not my profession In that they are filled with so great a measure of divine knowledge above others they are fitter to be Kings David was a King and a Prophet so was Solomon why should the like then be accounted a fault in others Furthermore he that is the Principal Member of Gods Church within his own dominions should be soundly grounded in Gods word and able to render an account of his faith How were it possible that he and his house with Joshuah should serve the Lord truly if he were ignorant of the points of Religion or of those things wherein he is to serve him Kings must serve God as well as others Reges ut reges saith Austin Worship him all ye gods Psal 97.7 Aug. It was Gods own command Deut. 17.18 where he setteth down what a King must do And it shall be when he sitteth upon the throne of his Kingdom that he shall write him a Copy of this Law in a book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them c. Lastly from this ariseth another observation That Kings and Governours ought to pray for divine Knowledge and Wisdom For in their Kingdoms they are Judges of Ecclesiastical and Civil matters except they wilfully give up their titles of right How can they judge righteously if they be ignorant of the matters whereof they are Judges They must scan matters over and over and sift them for it is the honour of Kings to search out a matter Be wise now therefore O ye Kings Prov. 25.2 Psal 2.10 Psal 119.104 be instructed ye Judges of the earth But how is this gotten Through thy precepts I get understanding saith David Here I limit not my self to Kings but what I say of their duty I say of all Christians for they are Kings through Christ The use then is this Revel 1.6 How far from pleasing God are such as neglect this so great a duty and so great a good that whereas they may have wisdom for the asking or whereas if by asking they obtain it they should use it to the edification of others all is neglected hence instead of pious songs such as Davids Solomons the world is filled with swarms of Pamphlets Let us therefore pray that God would teach all of us so to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome And this for Preface to what ensues The words are short and sweet being a breviary of the whole Psalm which is partly petitional non voz sed votum from this first verse to the eleventh and partly repetitional of Gods promises non votum sed vox from the eleventh verse to the end all which is sweetly compiled in these words Lord remember David and all his afflictions Two things are here recommended to Gods remembrance viz. David and his afflictions Luth. But what David Not bare David without either welt or gard not David materialiter but David formaliter saith Luther as he was godly David as unto whom God passed his word and promise that when thy dayes shall be fulfilled speaking to David by the Prophet Nathan and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers I will set up thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy bowels and I will est ablish his Kingdom 2 Sam. 7. he shall build an house for my name and I will stablish the throne of his Kingdome for ever And this is it that is comprised in this verse and enlarg'd in the rest Therefore saith he remember David that is the promises made to David We can have no better exposition of Scripture than scripture 1 Kings 8.28 Solomon in another place prayes for the same Therefore now Lord God of Israel keep with thy servant David my father that thou promised'st him saying there shall not be cut off unto thee a man from my sight as the originall is to sit on the throne of Israel but on condition so that thy children take heed to their way that they walk before me as thou bast walked before me And now O God of Israel let thy word I pray thee â—e verified c. Again
would not stick to exact the thing promised therefore whensoever God makes a promise either to King or people they must not be so coy as not to take hold of it and to challenge God of his promise For he promiseth to the end they should remember him and thereby he them Fear not then it is his delight Again Gods promise is the strongest argument a man can use it is a sign of an invincible faith to apply it the remembrance whereof should drive us to God And is the best comfort to a Christian man in this life It was here Solomons chiefest joy which made him come thus to God Lord remember David It should seeme by this speech that God was asleep or forgetful of his promise But the speech is not proper for he that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep Psal 121.4 God cannot be said to remember or forget properly but by a metaphor not Theologicè but Oeconomicè as the Fathers speak or per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Logicians call ambignum ex analogiâ conceptus because we cannot otherwise conceive by reason of our natural imbecillity God is said then to remember when he shews himself to have a respect unto us for his promise sake So Tremelius expounds it Tremel demonstra te meminisse Lord declare by a plain demonstration that thou forget'st not thy promise made to thy servant David by performing it or being as good as thy word in me I will not enter into any Philosophical speculation concerning this And what should he remember Aâ—â— Vt impleatur quod promisit saith Austin To whom promised To David Lord remember David That is that he would fulfil in him what he promised to David his father that his seed should sit in his throne for ever that he should plant his Church and true worship there and dwell among them that the ministery should be pure and powerful the arme of God to salvation that he would give them food sufficient that the glory of his Kingdom should never come to decay This is the Summa totalis In these words we may perceive as in a Perspective-Glasse who it is that is the first raiser of a State and who the puller down States are not guided by blind fortune as the Poets feign nor by Angels appointed thereto in every Kingdom as the Platonists imagine nor by the Starres as some Star-gazers affirm but God alone guides all by his Providence The heavens doth rule saith Daniel by a Metommy of the subject for the adjunct Dan. 4. None can stay his hands or say unto him What doest thou saith Nebuchadnezzar A lesson for Kings and Magistrates that they sollicite none but God for the welfare of Church and Common-weale as here Solomon did But what is this all No they must do it of necessity therein to acknowledge his Supremacie and their Allegiance but this I toucht already They must also have as great care of Religion as of the Commonweale and more for that was the end why Commonweales were ordained without the Commonweale will but be a common poverty it is the soul of the Politick State it gives life unto it Whereupon it being without Religion is compared to a dead body without a soul but both being joyned together the one may say of the other Parsque tui latitat corpore clausa meo Both must be minded as in promise here meant by David So in Prayer Solomon is our example And as their care for the planting of Religion must be great so must they have a watchful eye for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee Lastly they must commit all to God Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding Prov. 3.5 Victo iâ— mihi crede non hominum disciplinis aut industriá comparatur sed Dei O.M. benignitate arbitrio c. Ferdinand K. of Arragon He is the Watchman of Israel he it is that in the night and in the day discovers all plots and conspiracies that bringeth the rebellious to confusion It is he that giveth salvation unto Kings Psal 144.10 Thus they may assure themselves that if God be on their side they need not fear what man can do unto them If they cast their care upon the Lord he will care for them This was Solomons way to the throne when as he said Lord remember David Now let us come to know what David was in himself without any respect to the promises He was as his name imports beloved amiable or a friend true indeed for he was the beloved of the Lord for God was with him he was the son of Jesse Ruth 4.22 by profession a Shepherd but chang'd from a Shepherd to be King of Judah 2 Sam. 1.4 King of Israel cap. 5.3 God we see hath not respect of persons outwardly he chooseth poor David before any in Israel to be King for thus saith the Lord to Samuel Arise anoint him this is he 1 Sam. 16. David provided Ministers to serve the Lord 1 Chron. 16.4 He provided matter for the building of a Temple he appointed Solomon to build because God did for bid himself 1 Chron. 22.3 He gave Solomon the pattern and sound out the place 2 Sam. 5. He followed the Lord with all his heart 1 Kings 14. save in the matter of Vriah cap. 15. These are parts of the Acts and Monuments of David Thus we see Gods love to David and Davids zeal to Godward he did as much as he could more if he could do he would have done God denied David would not resist A doctrine for Kings and Governours not to counter-check Gods commands And when he heard he should not do it he sate not idle as many would have done but prepared materials for the building Let all of all degrees learn hence to provide all things for the setting forward of a good work What work better than the building of a house for God wherein to call on his name But in this age men scarce vouchsafe to repair nay some rather have pulled down and instead thereof erected stables Which indeed hath proved the way to bring an old house on their heads Contrary to this was Davids practice therefore saith Solomon Remember David or thy promise made to David my Father It follows and all his afflictions Some translate these words cum totâ or cum omni afflictione ejus some adâ— and and then we read it thus as in our Bibles And all his afflictions The reason of this diversity lies in the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sometimes beareth the force of the Article of the Accusative case and then they adde and to make up a perfect sentence it is called by the Grammarians Asyndeton when a conjunction is wanting Sometime the force of the Proposition cum then Remember David with all his afflictions the matter is indifferent the sense is the same There is a greater difference
these words I am discoursing on Which are a pious Exhortation directed to the Elders of the Church containing a twofold Caution 1. The one respecting themselves Take heed therefore to your selves 2. The other the Church of God And to all the Flock The arguments produc'd to back this Exhortation to a diligent Providence of Gods people are 1. Because they are Overseers of the Flock 2. Because they are called to the performance of that office by Divine election and constitution in these words Over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers 3. Because Gods intent in calling them to that office was to feed the Church of God 4. Because it is not a thing of a small value that is committed to their charge but that which God with his own blood purchased Which he hath purchased with his own blood Before I meddle with the two main particulars the onely matter intended my meditation shall reflect a little upon the ground hereof implied in the illative particle therefore which ever hath relation to a precedent matter Paul protells that he hath declared the whole counsel of God to them and that he is pure from the blood of all men in that he did conceal nothing from them that concerned their salvation Seeing then he leaves them in so good a state acquainting them with the Lords pleasure and counsel he chargeth the Elders to beware of themselves and of the flock Take heed therefore to your selves c. Where you may note how piously Paul is devoted to Religion how zealously affected to Gods Church how provident for their welfare Loth he was to depart until he had setled the affairs Ecclesiastical A Synod therefore assembled he lays himself open to all Like an indulgent Parent departing from his children could not part without an exhortation for preventing future perils He did undoubtedly conclude as well he might the improvidence of Ministers should be fatal to the Church Neglective carelesness hath evermore a dead stroke in the corruption or fall of Religion Where pride pranked with outward semblances goes for gravity where outward observances and ceremonious complements pass for inward zeal and devotion where humane eloquence perhaps impertinent to the matter in hand runs current for profound learning and is preferr'd before the demonstration of the Spirit where Hagar gets the preheminence of Sarah I mean where Philosophy shall coin Articles of Faith and prescribe rules to Divinity where Vice walks in the habit of Vertue where Avarice is counted Thristiness where gain of money and revenue is more desired than gain of souls Gods Vineyard must needs be neglected and without question down comes Religion Take heed therefore to your selves The Apostle in this illation hath yet a further reach In the precedent verse he doth aver that he is pure from the blood of all men and for his justification alleageth that he hath kept back from them no part of Gods counsel which he was pleased to reveal for their endless felicity Take heed therefore to your selves and to all the flock Do ye so likewise Hence it is requisite that you be industrious in the search of heavenly mysteries See that Earth make you not to forget Heaven and so slacken your care but let your studies be spent in finding knowledge that is able to save your souls and them that hear you in doctrine in exhortation in reproof aiming at the perfection of the Saints of God and his glory It is an unquestionable truth That the blood of them who receive little or no instruction of their Pastors or who fall away from the Truth through the Pastors neglect or careless carriage in their vocation will be required at the Pastors hand Ezekiel in his 33. chap. confirms this assertion O son of man I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth Fulmina non verba Eras and warn them from me When I say unto the wicked O wicked man thou shalt surely die if thou doest not speak to warn the wicked from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand If you intend the good of Zion if you prefix for your scope the glory of God if you hope for salvation quit your selves my Brethren from the guilt of blood of murdering souls through your negligence Attend to Pauls exhortation Take heed to your selves c. First take heed to your selves The prime care of a faithful Minister of Jesus Christ is how to behave himself in the Church of Christ which is the house of the living God It is an hard task I must confess he is put to a painful work that he takes in hand for the finishing whereof there must be a concurrence of conscience and skill If conscience be without skill the good will and honest intentions may win applause egregiam certe laudem but the Church is not profited If skill and no conscience whilst he teacheth others he himself becomes a reprobate Those instructions he imparts to others will in the end prove his own overthrow Take heed therefore to your selves It is the speech of Evagrius Scholasticus in his Ecclesiastical history Libr. 3. concerning an Emperor That an Emperor is not to be counted of thereafter as he governeth others but as he guideth and ruleth himself It behoveth him to suffer no lascivious motion to root within his breast but valiantly to encounter with Intemperancie and to make his life a pattern of vertue or a lanthorn for his subjects to follow after thereby to lead them to godly instruction This I may apply to the true Divine and true Man of God He must have an observing eye as well upon himself as others All his actions must be so ruled as that we may read piety in each of them and that they may serve for patterns of imitation to the people Surely Nunquam aliorum salutem sedulo curabit qui suam negliget saith one It can never enter into my heart to think much less to believe that he shall be careful for the salvation of others who shall neglect his own It is an argument beyond probability that that man will never respect any good that slights his proper except upon such terms as Moses wished his name blotted out of the book of life or as Paul himself accursed for his bretrhens sake But these were elevated to the highest pitch of zeal which few ever attained unto These were studious both of their own and others safety and of others safety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of their own See then as saith the Apostle that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Eph. 5.15 Extraordinary circumspection transporting us above the common sphere must be used or else we shall be condemned of extraordinary folly The wise mans eyes are in his head faith Wisdom It is a point of the greatest wisdom for a man to have his wits
ever about him and far most of all for a Church-man Subtile and powerful are they with whom he hath to do the gifts where with he ought to be furnished withall are not to be reputed vulgar yet so are they to be tempered as that they outstretch not the capacity of the vulgar upon occasion His work is not stinted to the Body the Soul is the subject he works upon The dignity therefore of the Soul far exceeds that of the Body And as the commodity arising from their spiritual industry redounds more to the Spirit of a man the finer metal than the Body the baser substance though indeed to both So in a Divine indeed must the Divine habiliments of the mind seasoned and moderated with the grace of Gods holy Spirit that they may work with the more agility and with the greater efficacie and far surpass the best endowments generally of the common sort He hath more precious things in hand than any wherefore his sufficiency must be correspondent to his charge and his care proportionable to his sufficiency Salvation is the end of his intentions and that that crowns his actions Wherefore look about you Tuke heed unto your selves In our selves we must take heed of two things 1. Of our Doctrine 2. Of our Life Take heed unto thy self saith Paul to Timothy and unto the doctrine continue in them 1 Tim. 4. uit for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee As our life is not contemplative alone spent in the bare speculation of Divine oracles like Moses conferring with God but also practical spent in actions with men pertaining to holiness So we must behave our selves in both with that moderation and convenient wariness as that the one may be an help and furtherer to the other to remove all obstacles that may be prejudicial to the acquiring of the happiness of Eternity both in our selves and others The ornaments of the Priests robe in the old Law Lib. de sacr Altar myst c. 17. were significant intimations hereof as is observed by Pope Innocent It was sumptuously garnished with Onix stones Bells and Pomgranates By the Onix stones are intimated Truth and Sincerity by the brightness of their truth of Doctrine which must be as clear as the Sun by their solidity and integrity of Conversation both springing up out of sound Learning The Bells note our incessant sounding forth the praises of the Lord in his holy Temple by preaching in season and out of season Woe be to me saith Paul if I preach not the Gospel The Pomgranates are signs are symbols of good works The order gives occasion of a further observation There was a Bell and a Pomgranate a Bell and a Pomgranate and a Bell betwixt every Pomgranate figuring how that good works in the Ministerial order must be ever intermingled with good words the matter of these yields matter for amplifying this discourse They were made of pure gold pure metal abstracted from all dross to signifie the necessary concurrence and sweet harmony of an undefiled life and true doctrine both appearing exceeding good to the eye both sounding exceeding well to the ear If all of our Function excel in purity of life and foundness of doctrine then are we all spiritually true Bell-metal Hence it is said by the Evangelist that Christ began to do and to teach whose steps we must follow He did much but he did no sin to shew that our conversation should be blameless and in his mouth was found no guile to shew that we should speak nothing but the truth Take heed of your Doctrine First that it be found agreeable to the Scriptures If any teach otherwise let him be accursed The Word of God is the foundation of revealed Truth whereupon we must build Take heed of vain Philosophy whose precepts may seem specious but in them may be comprehended the doctrine of devils Many turbulent spirits delighting to be pragmatical and factious have obtruded into the Church for doctrine the commandments of men and for their own ends attempt to corrupt Religion and bring in Innovations and new-fangled devices causing an apostasie from the Truth and drawing disciples after them But I trust ye have learned otherwise not to be guided by the ostentation or umbratical shews of any plausible tongue but by the most perfect rule of Divine truth the Word of God Believe it Schismatical wits if not prevented breed an infection in the Church worse than the plague Let the Word of God then be the ground of our proceedings lest we wander out of the way and affirmatively conclude what God denies To this end by Canonical constitutions they are to be duly examined who plead for admittance into Holy Orders that so they may both satisfie themselves by experience and certifie others whether or no they be orthodoxally learned and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach Pious therefore was that resolution of a most Reverend Father in God Never to admit any into this holy Function but such of whose Knowledge in Divinity he should receive some competent intelligence The part of a most wise and judicious Prelate The admission of illerate men into the Ministery hath been the bane of our Religion and the disgrace of our Profession as we all well know For where there is no Knowledge the people must perish Gods service and worship must be disregarded There are some are probably suspected of heterodoxal doctrine who upon examination or serious dispute or preaching care should be taken they may be hindred from propagating their inventions Others there are whose Insufficiency is so gross that to hear them speak to the purpose is as great a wonder as it was to hear Balaam's Ass The Church suffereth under both It is most convenient therefore that whoso desire to take this Vocation upon them should have solid Learning and be able to exhort to reprove to instruct the people of God and should solemnly protest to teach and maintain nothing contrary to what the Word of God shall warrant Let us therefore take heed unto our selves that our Doctrine be sound for The Priests lips preserve knowledge Secondly What we teach must be plain as well as found There is no goodness to be hoped no proficiency to be expected by teaching where what is taught is not understood Our speech must not outstretch the common apprehension Prudentibus vicis non placont phalerata sed fortia said Bishop Iewel Bonaventure's words in prenching were not inflantis sed inflammantia Not strong lines but a plain phrase tends to Edification the end of Preaching Many times in difficult Terms lies enwrapt a pestilent Heresie Hereticks at least Novelists coin such obscure sentences as that they may walk unseen as it were in a cloud of obscurity But this is not the way to gain souls to God the plainest manner is the best My speech and my preaching saith Paul was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration
ye not then defiled with the contaminating and for did customs of the world but as ye are separated from all others to an holy emploiment so do not ye degenerate but let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven Know that the eys of all men are fixt upon you If covetousness pride luxury drunkenness or any other vice reign in any of you if any of you be of a dissolute life whose conversation is not ruled by the doctrine ye teach ye are but miserable creatures Be assured Pope Innoc. lib. 3. de S. Altar myst that Quisquis sacris indumentis ornatur honestis moribus non 〈◊〉 quanto venerabilior apparet hominibus tanto indignior redditur apud Deum saith one God contemns him and will reward him according to his work For It is not every one that cries Lord Lord that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but only they that do the will of my Father saith Christ Take heed therefore to your lives If you preach well and live ill you do but build with one hand and pull down with another And thus much for the Caveat as it respects our selves Now of the Caveat briefly as it respects the Church of God Take heed to all the flock c. A Minister hath the custody of many souls and if any perish through his means he is liable to Gods judgments As therefore we come provided with Knowledge so with a resolution to propagate and diffuse it Knowledge in the best of us not communicated to the building up of the Church in holiness is like costly materials prepared for the erecting of some sumptuous building yet to no use the loss whereof is irrecoverable It stands us upon therefore to be instant in season and out of season to be Instructers of the flock committed to our charge both in doctrine and manner of living The reason hereof rendred in my Text is substantial in that we are made Overseers of the flock The word interpreted Overseer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hence saith one Nomen Episcopi plus sonat oneris quà m honoris But I take it here in a larger signification than it is commonly used All Ministers are Overseers of that Flock the charge of whose souls is committed to them They are their Spiritual Tutors unfolding unto them the secret mysteries of Divine knowledge They must inform them if ignorant reform them if erroneous reprove them if dissolute confirm them if weak in the faith They are called Watchmen to watch for their souls salvation that they be not carried away with every wind of dectrine that they run not into absurd enormities but that they hold fast the profession of the faith in holiness and righteousness all the days of their lives They are called Pastors whose calling is to use all diligence to feed their flock and protect them from eminent mischiefs by a careful foresight or present needful power The Symbole of this say some is the Bishops Crosier the Spiritual Shepherds staff which is acutus in fine ad pungendum pigros rectus in medio ad regendum debiles retortus in summo ad colligendum vagos sharp in the end to prick up the slothful and make them nimble right in the midst to govern the weak but crooked in the top like a hook to gather the dispersed or such as go astray They are called Gods Stewards whose office is faithfully to provide all things necessary for his family They are called the Light of the world whose property is to discover things hid in darkness They by their knowledge dispel the clouds of ignorance by their holy conversation the works of darkness All things that are discovered are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light hence they shew the house of Judah their sins Eph. 5 13. and the house of Jacob their thrnsgressions They are called Stars Fixt in the right hand of God tanquam in firmamento suo as in their heaven Stars have their light from the Sun so you not originally from your selves but derivatively from the Sun of Righteousness Your knowledge proceeds from the revelation of Jesus Christ who was in the bosom of the Father and must be communicated to the world And to this end they move perpetually about the world so ought you about the Church that all therein may be partakers of the light of life Wonderful are the effects and powerful the operation that the Celestial bodies have by their influences upon the Elements and upon those things compacted by them So questionless the effects wrought by the powerful preaching of the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation by such whose conversation is in heaven as Divine stars are far superior unto them The operation I am sure more effectual because more spiritual For as the Stars beget life in things void of life and cause vegetation by their heat So they by their precepts beget saith in those that are dead in sins and trespasses which is the soul of the soul by which we live unto God for Faith cometh by hearing and the just lives by his faith Furthermore by the propagation of the Gospel by preaching the Church of God grows and all therein as tender plants and trees of righteousness bring forth the fruits of eternal life Lastly The fixt Stars candem sempet inter 〈…〉 disstantiam they keep the same proportion of distance to each other The like harmony must be among us that all of us together may declare the glory of God They are called Angels to whom God hath given charge over his people to protect them Heb. 1. ult For as they are ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation so are Ministers wherefore saith the Prophet How beautiful are the feet of those that bring the glad tidings of peace What shall I say more They are called Fathers All these names import labour in them to whom they are ascribed So that great must be the pains that we must take with the Flock the Church of God over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers A word to the people I beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake 1 Thess 5.13 Apud Graecos majori in honore babebantur Philosophi quà m Oratores Illi enim rectè vivendi c. Lactantius The Grecians gave greater respect to their Philosophers than to their Orators because these taught them how to speak but those how to live well And sâ—ffer the word of exhortation Heb. 13.22 God must send ere man can go And here is Gods care of man his love to man God comes not in his own proper person He speaks not in his own proper voice So great is the Majesty of the one that
some sort rest satisfied Had that Apostate Julian disburdened his soul of all praejudicate opinions had he pondered divine truths as was requisite had he look't into it as into the word of God he never had blasphemed it in saying Vidi legi contempsi I saw it read it contemned it to whom learned Basil modestly replied as Chamier that famous French-man reports out of history Vidisti legisti non intellexisti si intellexisses non contempsisses sawedst thou it readst thou it thou never understoodst it hadst thou understood it thou hadst never contemn'd it Of so great authority and so full of divine majesty are the Oracles of God as that in an understanding man they beget an awful reverence and mightily prevail for an obedient subscription with those that studiously look into it never man spake as Christ never man as God Now who those are that should diligently enquire after the will of God and look into the perfect Law of liberty is a point worthy our enquiring after None but such as exempt themselves from God exempt themselves from this task All are bound to it but who will observe it Minister and People as they combine to honour God so to know him and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ The Knowledge of whose will glides not into the soul of man by natural instinct or moral infusion but by the Spirit and the Word of truth the Spirit illuminating the Word informing our understanding In which word we that are Pastours of the flock of Christ above others must use assiduous scrutiny 't is our profession to know more than ordinary Act. 20.28 as appointed in an higher sphear to be Overseers of the Church of God Hence the Spirit terms the Prophets Seers because they saw the will of God which others also saw by them 1 Cor. 4.1 and the Apostles with their successours stewards of the mysteries of God and Embassadors for Christ to pray men in Christs stead to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 En flexanimam suadae medullam whose knowledge by preaching must be diffused others must reap the benefit of our paines God makes us knowing men to make knowing men which many have taken on them to do but some neglect it some can but will not some will not because they cannot some cannot and yet presume As for them that can and will not I pity them they shall be beaten with many stripes as for them that will not because they cannot I slight them though richer than my selfe they are but dumb dogs as for them that cannot yet presume the world may jeere them they make the Pulpit undervalued But for Gods sake my brethren let us that can will and endeavor when we speak from the father of languages to deliver our embassage not in an ill one lest we expose our selves to a scornful censure nor in a too obscure and affected one labouring more for fine words than fit ones lest affecting the praise of humane eloquence we feed the people as Heliogabalus did his Parasites with painted dishes as those fed the eye not the body so the other tickle the eare but profit not the soul 'T is truth that one speakes there is a Magick in the tongue can charm the wild mans motions and though God hath chosen by weak things to confound the wise 1 Cor. 1.27 yet experience shews that in all times a washed language hath much prevailed The Scriptures are pen'd in a tongue of a deep expression in every word almost a Metaphor illustrating by some allusion How political is Moses how Philosophycal and Mathematical is Job how massy and sententious Solomon in his Proverbs how quaint and amorously affected in his Canticles how grave and solemn in his Ecclesiastes and how poetical and full of heavenly raptures is his father in his Psalmes Christs doctrine astonished the Jewes Paul pleaded at the barr in a transcendent straine of eloquence and in dispute was subtile In a word it suites not with the Majesty of so divine an Art as is that of winning soules to be presented in sordid rags but in a graceful trimme yet plain Confections that are cordial are not the worse but the better for being guilded Divinity as it must not lasciviate so being well ordered by significant words placed in a native decency angles the soul and lifts it up to heaven As Herod therefore bade the wise men diligently to search for the young child Jesus and when they had found him to bring him word that he might go and worship him also so I advise my brethren accurately to look into this perfect law of liberty and when they have found what there is hidden by constant preaching to divulge it By this means the perverse transgressor is called and converted and Gods pleasure before neglected is observed I repeat St Peters exhortation feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tantâ—m ut nos pascat vâ—stiat not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind 1 Pet. 5.2 that every one of you may say with the Apostle of the Gentiles As much as in me lieth I am ready to preach the Gospel unto you Rom. 1.15 Quicquid in me situm est Promptum est Which done in sincerity not having an eye to the airy applause of men nor wordly commodity but to the glory of God immortal in the salvation of the souls of the hearers when the chief shepheard shall appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye shall receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 As for silent Ministers not silent by authority but through insufficiency I should wish them well did I wish they never had that calling unto which I dare say they were never truly called but compel'd by necessity on whom avarice laid on the supposedly holy hands By which disorder of ordering broken tradesmen and such of the giddy-headed multitude untuter'd in the Word of God who never knew other Art than how to deceive this holy function is prophaned the Church scandalized the well-deserving kept in penury ignorance gets head impiety propagates and the sheep of Christ with these Wolves in sheep-skins are pitifully worried This tends to verifying Winifrids Apothegme changing one word In old time there were golden Pastors and wooden Chalices but now golden Chalices and wooden Pastors as of old the Jewes had a royal Temple but a rascal Priesthood To redress this abuse the remedy lies in the Imposers hands would the reverend Fathers of the Church hold in their hands from imposition and Patrons theirs from Donation until merit claimed it Clerus Angliae stupor mundi these unworthy vermine would never appear and Churchmen would gain their ancient reputation I make bold therefore to report what an honourable person once writ to his most excellent Majesty of famous memory learned King James They must rather leave the Ark to shake as it
blessed consequences of Christ's Life and Death Pag. 41. Why Christ died Pag. 53 Of the Three Persons in the Deity largely Pag. 67 68 forward Inferences from the Spirits dwelling in our hearts Pag. 76 77 Christian society should be delightful Pag. 92 Songs of Degrees Pag. 113 Doctrine what must be preached Pag. 122 forward E. FRults of Christs Exaltation Pag. 15 16 The malignity of Envy Pag. 35 Ecclesiastical peace Pag. 36 Christ Exalted according to both Natures Pag. 57 forward Six Evidences of the Spirits dwelling in our hearts Pag. 73 74 No easie matter to be a Minister of the Gospel Pag. 92 An Emperors duty Pag. 121 F. WE may come confidently to God us to a Father Pag. 80 Not build Faith on a staggering foundation Pag. 92 The Soul naturally subjected to Fear Pag. 95 96 Several Fears Pag. 96 forward Benefis of holy Fear Pag. 98 forward Two causes of Fear Pag. 99 The uses Pag. 100 forward Foundation of the Church who Pag. 147 forward G. GOD the All-wise and gracious Moderator Pag. 5 Grace for grace how Pag. 10 11 Of Gods Glory at large Pag. 19 20 What Glory due to God from man imports Pag. 20 21 Gods Good-will how superabundant Pag. 43 44 In what particular acts expressed Pag. 45 forw Comfortable inferences thence deduced Pag. 46 The Spirits mission into our hearts a great gift Pag. 68 69 God and the Holy Spirit not unequal ibid. Heart governed by the Spirit Pag. 74 God is Christs Head how Pag. 111 God alone to be invocated Pag. 114 Grace inherent and actual Pag. 139 Concerning Grace at large Pag. 150 forward H. HOw Christ is Holy Pag. 11 12. How Harmless ibid. The benefits of Christ made higher than the Heavens Pag. 17 18 Honour to God wherein it consists Pag. 22 23 24 Heart the Metropolis of the Soul Pag. 34 Humiliation of Christ a work of power mercy justice Pag. 48 forward Wherein it consists Pag. 51 forward Holy Ghost called a Spirit why Pag. 63 64 Spirit of the Son why ibid. Heart principally desired in man Pag. 72 It 's the seat of the Spirit proved Pag. 72 73 Head of the Woman is Man in what respects Pag. 107 Hear the word how Pag. 133 134 I. JEsus a reverend Name Pag. 6 Indignities put upon Christ Pag. 7 8. His intercession Pag. 9. Not for all promiscuously ibid. Fruit of it Pag. 10 Justice and Mercy Pag. 21. Both to be admired Pag. 22 Justification Pag. 41 Illumination of the understanding Pag. 73 A Christian least reason to be idle why Pag. 84 forward Satan gets great advantage by it Pag. 85. Idleness reproved Pag. 87 Vse of it Pag. 88 Insufficient Ministery the evil of it Pag. 132 133 James unde Pag. 145 John what it signifies Pag. 146 K. KIngs their duty Pag. 113 116 117 Four Divinity-Lectures for them Pag. 115 Not exempted from afflictions Pag. 117. To be prayed for Pag. 118 L. LOve God how Pag. 23. Gods love to Mankind Pag. 63 64 Livelihood from the Spirit Pag. 75 76 What love should be betwixt Ministers Pag. 89 Ministers must take heed to their lives how Pag. 126 Gospel why called a Law Pag. 129 130 A perfect Law ibid. A Law of liberty Pag. 130 131 In what language Ministers should deliver their message Pag. 132 M. THe first Man was the first order'd Priest Pag. 3 Mans recovery is by a Mediator Pag. 4 Of Gods Mercy Pag. 39 The Mediator must be both God and Man Pag. 50. forward Mission of the Spirit Pag. 70 Plotters of Mischief Pag. 87 Man is the womans head Pag. 106 forward Ministers improvidence fatal to the Church Pag. 120. Ministery an hard task ibid. Must look to themselves how Pag. 121 Neither spare for love nor fear Pag. 123 124 How called and why Pag. 126 forward Merits confuted Pag. 41 42 N. TO Number our days what Pag. 86 O. THe Offence committed must be purged away by the Nature offending Pag. 5 God added an Oath to the Covenant of grace and peace why Pag. 6 7 Oblation of Christ in the Heavens Pag. 9 Obedience to God internal external largely Pag. 22 23. How qualified Pag. 24 25 Excellency of Order Pag. 103 Offices mutually to be performed by man and wife Pag. 109 forward P. DIgnity of Christ's Priesthood Pag. 7 A double comfort from the purity of our High-Priest Pag. 13 Christ a Pattern for our imitation Pag. 14 Peace fourfold wrought by Christ Jesus Pag. 26 27 How made Pag. 27 28. Peace of a good Conscience amply described Pag. 30 31 32. Peace pressed Pag. 33 34 The Spirit of the Son is a Person why Pag. 66 67 And distinct why ibid. And the third and last Person how ibid. Pilgrimage some kind lawful Pag. 8 Papists false Inferences refuted ibid. forward Apostles are Pillars Pag. 91 Perfection absolute not here Pag. 98 Promises strongest Arguments Pag. 116 Ten Persecutions Pag. 124 125 Perseverance Pag. 135 Practice Pag. 136 Saints estate perfect and imperfect how Pag. 140 forward Protestants whence Pag. 141 Peter the signification Pag. 146 Paul what imports Pag. 151 forward Q. OF Quenching the Spirit Pag. 77 R. ROme's Sacriledge Pag. 10 Righteousness of Christ efficacious to us Pag. 13 14 Resurrection of Christ Arguments proving it Pag. 59. Necessity of it Pag. 60 61. Ends of it Pag. 61 62. The Conclusion Pag. 62 63 Regeneration Pag. 73 Religious hearts in a continual awe of God Pag. 96 Reading and Meditation to be joyned Pag. 134 Remembrance Pag. 135 136 Our Religion how founded Pag. 149 S. THe Son of God must be made the Son of Man Pag. 5 Sufferings of Christ the reason Pag. 8 Christ separate from sinners how Pag. 14. Made sin for us how Pag. 21 22 Benefits by Christs sufferings Pag. 29 Sanctification Pag. 43 None by nature excepted from sins contagion Pag. 43 Sufferings of Christ were incessant Pag. 51 Some specialties Pag. 52. Necessity of them Pag. 53 forward And Effects Pag. 55 forward The Application Pag. 56 Sons of God what Pag. 81 Spirit of truth and of lying Pag. 83 States how guided Pag. 116 Religion the soul of them ibid. Scripture to be compared with Scripture Pag. 134 The Spirit to be supplicated for Pag. 135 Saints two sorts Pag. 138 forward Saul what signifies Pag. 151 T. MYstery of the Trinity Pag. 68 Time an account to be kept of Pag. 84 Precious ibid. Will not be stayed Pag. 85 How we must make account of it ibid. Time must be redeemed Pag. 86 V. CHrist undefiled in the whole course of his life and why Pag. 13 Vbiquity refuted Pag. 17 Vnion with Christ Pag. 73 Vniversality of the Church Pag. 105 Voice of God daunting Pag. 127 128 Vnion must be amongst Ministers Pag. 152 W. CHrist born of a Woman why Pag. 5 6 The Word made flesh how Pag. 13 Divine Worship Pag. 25 26. largely God to be worshipped every where Pag. 90 The merciful project of Gods Eternal Wisdom Pag. 47 Bitterness to Wives discovers it self how Pag. 110 forward Word to be looked into accurately Pag. 131 FINIS
in the translation of the word Gnuunotho Austin Hierom and Theodoret with almost all the Papists translate it omnis mansuetudinis ejus but Luther Calvin Tremelius and others translate it Cum totâ afflictione ejus So Arias Montanus a Papist Cum universa ejus afflictione ad verbum cum omni affligi ejus we follow the last But to leave off words and come to the matter it is manifest by these words that David had many afflictions yet he was the beloved of the Lord his darling so was Christ yet from the Cradle to the Crosse was he afflicted of whose troubles Davids here were types Therefore Gods dearest children are subject to afflictions they are Gods messengers to bring them to him messengers of life not of death of love not of hate for the Lord chasteneth whom he loveth David was afflicted by Saul and his followers before he had possession of the throne and after he was sole Monarch placed in the throne many were the troubles that attended on him Thus Kings are not exempted from being afflicted Among his manifold troubles this one is recounted the inward care he had of finding out a sit and convenient place where to build a Temple for the Lord. This we may perceive in the verses following he was tost too and fro with many difficulties inwardly perplexed and all for Gods glory Constantine the great was of his mind for no sooner did he conquer Maxentius and Licinius by which victory he ended the Persecution moved in the East and West Churches but he caused Bishops to be consecrated Churches to be built and then the Church of God began to flourish which before was almost drown'd in the red sea of bloody persecution for some hundreds of years I might be infinite in reckoning up the Godly Acts in this kind of Kings and Governours which outward acts shew the inward love they bore to God and true Religion Here is mention made of Davids afflictions to shew the truth or certainty of promise as if they had been therewith seal'd and sign'd Which proves that he endur'd all these troubles because he had so fair promises of God Therefore to whom God doth give comfortable promises no trouble or anguish should annoy him but he should willingly undergo all tribulations for the promise sake It was not for his afflictions that God made him this promise it was gratis Lastly Davids afflictions are put down for an example to incite others to suffer the like To comfort them and to assure them that albeit they suffer never so many troubles that it would seeme impossible that those promises should be accomplished yet should they put their trust and hope in God who out of stones is able to raise up children to Abraham As Solomon prayed thus in his own behalf so let us as the Apostle commands make intercession for Kings and those which are in authority Lord remember our David CHARLES the second by the grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland defender of the Faith c. Thou who art the King of Kings make him a King over many Kings thou who art the King of peace guide the feet of our King in the wayes of peace Sit thou in his heart the chief Defender of his faith Councel thou him from above to have mercy on them to whom mercy belongs and to execute justice to them to whom justice Lord discover all plots and conspiracies intended against his sacred Majesty Let them be taken in their own nets that conspire against him Make him careful of thy Church Fill him with Faith Hope and Charity and at last reward him with a crown of glory And grant that ever after his seed may sit on his throne till the coming of the Messias Amen THE WATCHMAN'S Watch-word ACT. 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood WHosoever shall seriously observe Gods powerful providence in Pauls Conversion may discern an act of great mercy in God and a strange alteration in Paul It was the great mercy of the Almighty that ever Paul was converted to the faith He was a raveming wolf of the tribe of Benjamin using his best endeavours to devour the little flock of God breathing out threatnings against the Christian profession and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord. Yet God in whose hands are the hearts of all mâ—n did so suddenly alter his savage disposition and so turn the course of his resolutions another way as for a time seem'd incredible From persecuting the Gospel the Lord won him to the preaching of the Gospel from being a profest Enemy to Christianity to be a strong Pillar of the Christian Religion The time was that his whole aim was bent to the extirpation of the Doctrine of Christ Jesus not a Professor durst hold up his head in his sight his imployment was to find out such and to bring them bound to Hierusalem To this purpose had he Letters framed countenanced by the Great ones and bacht with the chief Authority that his actions might pass unquestioned without contradiction Neither wanted he wit learning and courage to draw his projects into publique view and execution with all dexterity thereby to discharge his warranted Commission with approbation But when he heard that Voice from Heaven Saul Saul why persecutest thou me when he saw the Heavens took notice of his actions he was struck into a maze he trembled exceedingly his courage fell down his heart was astonished and suddenly turns Professor of that faith he erewhile persecuted to the death What before he endeavoured to pull down and trample under foot be took in hand to erect and build up Christ crucified was the subject of his discourse as before the object of his hate for whose sake he was put into as great fears as ever he put others and was subject to as great dangers by others as ever others were by him But in process of time he became a man of so undaunted a spirit as that no threatnings could terrifie him no fierce looks outlook him no power affright him no dangers discourage him from publishing to the world the Doctrine of Peace and Reconciliation through the blood of Jesus Christ call'd then by the Scribes and Pharisees as to this day by the Roman Sectaries Heresie God having thus made him a Chosen vessel to bear his Name before the Gentiles and Kings he went about from place to place preaching That Christ that was crucified was the Son of God Being at length come to Miletus he calls the Elders of the Church together to whom he delivers sundry wholsom Instructions tending to the good of Gods Church committed to their cure This was his Conscio ad Clerum and it was his parting Sermon It begins at the 18. verse of this Chapter and continues to the 36. Part of which Sermon are