Gods Ministers as your Grace hath alwayes shewed your self to be unto all even the meanest of Gods servants and especially to me when in a very mean condition I came to wait upon your Grace in Donmore before the King came into the Kingdome and I must passe over your wise discreet and most prudent carriage of great affairs and in such desperate times to the benefit and preservation of many good men and faithful Subjects to his Majesty in the midst of a froward subtle and perverse Generation without which they had been utterly destroyed And I pass over these things and many other most eminent vertues and endowments of your Ladyship because I am not sufficiently able to characterize and delineate the same so sweetly and so commendably as your Grace hath shewed to the full measure of your deservings but though mine ability reacheth not to express your worth yet this my devotion shall never be wanting to shew my desires with the best of my prayers and all the faculties of my soul to be your Orator unto God and to make your name and memorial in the World like the remembrance of Josias fair as the Lilly and sweet as the pretious oyntment that is made by the art of the Apothecary So I rest Most honourable Lady Your Graces most faithful Orator and Servant while I am Gr. Ossory TO THE CHRISTIAN READER My dear Brother MY onely aim and desire hath always been to promote the glory of God the honour of my King the benefit of the Church of Christ and the good of all my Neighbours To those ends I have laboured I have preached I have printed many books And the best way that I conceived to do good unto my Neighbours was to teach them to observe and never to depart from the society and practice of Justice Obedience and Charity Justice among themselves and towards all men Obedience to their King and to all their superiour Governours and Charity or mercy to the poor and oppressed These were the main marks I always shot at and to further these exercises I thought my self obliged to do it with all my might without either fear or flattery And therefore let neither Kings Princes nor Magistrates frown at me when I reprove them if they be unjust for the great men doe the more usually as being the more able commit the acts of injustice and let not the rebellious Subjects nor the seditious Sectaries rail at me for painting out the ugly shapes and loathsome visages of their Treasons and Wickednesses against their Kings and Governours whom God hath set over them and commanded them to obey neither let the rich covetous and wretched worldlings whose hearts are as hard as stones from yielding any the least drop of relief unto the poor and needy and those that are ready to starve in the streets blame me if for these unmerciful cruelties and cruel neglect of mercies I shall thunder out God's judgements and pour forth the vials of God's wrath that are prepared against them for as Nehemiah said when his friends perswaded him to fly away for fear of his enemies that sought to destroy him Is it fit that such a man as I should fly Neh. 6.11 So I conceive it is not fit that such a man as I that am a Bishop and an aged man ready for my dissolution and no other translation but to be translated unto my fathers should now flatter any person or be afraid to speak the truth or to reprove sins worthy to be reproved for fear of the frowns threats or malice of any man And therefore as the Poet saith Me me adsum qui feci in me convertite ferrum And as I said with Pilat in the first Sermon that ever I printed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what I have written I have written Nec poterit abolere vetustas Jehovae Liberatori The Description and the Practice of the four most admirable Beasts REVEL 4.8 And the four Beasts had each of them six wings about him and they were full of eyes within and they rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come I Have begun to treat of these words in this place long ago and let no man marvel that I intend by Gods help to prosecute the explication thereof at this time because this Text seems to me like the Ocean sea so large that it cannot be measured and so deep that it cannot be fathomed by any humane wit the same being omnia in omnibus all in all For. First Here is God the Creator of all things and all that is knowable or may be known concerning God as that ineffable mystery of the Trinity or three persons in the one onely Essence of the Deity and therefore appointed to be read for the Epistle on Trinity Sunday and all the chiefest Attributes of God as 1. His Purity and sanctity in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three times repeated to shew the three persons of the Deity the Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. His Power authority and dominion in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is set down in the singular number to shew the Vnity of the God-head 3. His Wisedome knowledge and providence in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he seeth all things and all things are patent to his eyes attingit a fine usque ad finem disponit omnia suaviter 4. His Omnipotency in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almighty quia voluntas ejus potestas ejus because he can do whatsoever he would do he needs but say the word and it is done 5. His Eternity in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which crowneth all the rest of Gods Attributes that otherwise would be of no such value if it were not for this Eternity that makes him to be whatsoever he is for ever Secondly Here are the creatures of God and the chief of all Gods creatures as 1. The Lion which is the King of all the Beasts of the field 2. The Calf or the Oxe which is the most painful and most useful creature for the service of man and the most acceptable in the sacrifices of God 3. The Eagle which is the Lord and Master of all the Fowles of the Air and 4. Man which is the Prince and Ruler of all those and of all the Beasts of the field the Fowles of the air the Fishes of the sea and whatsoever walketh through the pathes of the seas Thirdly Here is Religion and the best of all Religions the Christian Religion most amply though enigmatically and mystically set forth unto us for 1. Here is both the natures and the offices of Christ and the chiefest things that he did and that we are to understand and believe for our salvation they are all here exprest unto us as 1. His divine nature under the notion of the Eagle and her lofty flight 2. His humane
the first part of the practice of these beasts which is their constancy in the service of God day and night 2. Of the harmony of these beasts 2. For the harmony of these beasts I told you that it consisted of six parts whereof the first is concerning the mystery of the Trinity Touching which before I proceed any further I must say with St. Augustine Vbi trinitas unitatis unitas trinitatis Aug. de Trin. lib. 1. Of the true knowledge of the mystery of the blessed Trinity Patris Filii Spiritus sancti quaeritur nec periculosius alieubi erratur nec laboriosius aliquid quaeritur nec fructuosius aliquid invenitur we cannot any where erre more dangerously we cannot seek for any thing more laboriously neither can we find any thing more profitable then the knowledge of this holy mystery and therefore as he saith Non pigebit me sicubi haesito quaerere nec pigebit me sicubi erro discere it irketh me not to inquire where I stumble neither will I be ashamed to retract and to learn where I erre And so to proceed The holy Evangelist in this harmony of these beasts setteth down these two principal things Two things set down 1. 1 Of the Trinity of Persons The Trinity of Persons in the Vnity of Gods Essence 2. The Vnity of Gods Essence in the Trinity of Persons For the first To declare the Trinity of persons the Evangelist saith these beasts cry three times Holy holy holy as if they should have said Holy Father holy Son and holy Spirit and yet they say not holy Gods but holy God and to shew the same truth the very phrase and loquution or the like manner of expressing this mystery is used in divers places of the holy Scripture as where Moses saith Creavit Elohim coelum et terram God created the heaven and the earth where the Verb singular creavit doth manifestly declare the unity of Gods Essence and the Noun plural Elohim doth as plainly shew the Trinity of persons And again where he saith Faciamus hominem ad imaginem nostram let us make man in our Image where the Verb plural faciâ—mus declareth the plurality of the Persons and the Pronoun singular nostram sheweth the unity of the Essence even so here the word sanctus three times repeated doth manifestly declare the Trinity of persons and the word Deus God in the singular number doth as plainly shew the unity of Gods Essence And so the whole sum of all is 1. Quod Deus sit unus quoad essentiam that God is one That God is but one Essence and three persons and but one in respect of his Essence 2. Quod Deus sit trinus quoad subsistentiam that in the Vnity of that Essence there are three Persons in respect of their subsistence or manner of being And this will appear most evidently if you do compare together the 6. Deut. 6.4 Matth. 28 29. of Deut. and the 4. ver and the 28. of St. Matthew and the 19. ver For in the former place it is said Dominus Deus tuus Deus unus est the Lord thy God is one God and in the later place our Saviour commandeth his Disciples to go and to baptize all Nations in the Name and not in the names of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost therefore there is a Trinity of persons that is the Father the Son and the holy Ghost in the divine Nature Et una est numero essentia and yet there is but one Essence because no diversity can be given whereby these persons differ in regard of the Essence And therefore in regard of this identity and unity of essence in the three Persons our Saviour said Ego sum in patre et Pater est in me I am in the Father and the Father is in me and yet as St. Cyril saith Non est dicendum Pater est à filio vel in filio continetur we may not say the Father is from the Son or contained in the Son Nec est filius in patre ut nos in Deo esse et vivere dicimur Neither is the Son in the Father as we are said to be and to live in God Quia de ejus essentia nos non sumus because we are not of the essence of God but in and by the vertue grace and power of God But here it may be some will demand from whence have we the name of Trinity About the name of Trinity when as we cannot find the same in all the Scripture I answer that we have the word three from whence the word Trinity is derived for St. John saith There be three that bear witness in heaven and therefore as unity is derived ab uno from one so Trinity may as justly be derived from three and the Church of God Penes quam usus et forma loquendi to whom the phrases and forms of speech are committed hath power to use such words as may best express the Truth and confute the Hereticks so the same be not contrary to the sense and meaning of the holy Scriptures Now the difference between essence and person is this The difference betwixt the Essence of God and the Persons in the Godhead that the essence is the nature which is indivisible and common to the three Persons but a person Est subsistentia in natura divina as the Schools speak a subsistence or the manner of the persons subsisting in the divine Nature when the one person is distinguished from the others distinguished I say and not divided because there is no division in the divine Nature And the difference betwixt each Person is twofold The difference betwixt each Person and the others twofold 1. Difference internal 1. Internal and 2. External 1. The internal difference between the Persons is and consisteth in their internal operations and proprieties whereof the Divines say that Opera Trinitatis ad intra sunt divisa The internal operations of the Trinity are severed and divided because as St. Augustine saith Hoc est proprium patris quod solus est pater et quod ab alio non est nisi à seipso It is proper to the Father that he only is Father and that he is not from any other but from himself Et hoc est proprium filii quod do patre genitus est solus à solo coaeternus et consubstantialis genitori And it is the property of the Son that he is begotten of the Father the Son alone from the Father only coeternal and consubstantial to his begetter Et proprium est Spiritus sancti quod nec genitus nec ingenitus est sed à patre et filio aequaliter procedens It is proper to the holy Ghost that he is neither begotten nor created but equally proceeding both from the Father and the Son And this difference is not essential because the Essence of all three is the same
and all one but personal and yet real and incomprehensible 2. 2. Difference external The external difference is taken from the external works and operations of these three Persons as that the Father sent the Son the Son is sent to be our Redeemer and the holy Ghost sent to be our Sanctifier and Comforter and as in the Apostles Creed the Father is discerned from the Son by ascribing unto him the creation of Heaven and Earth and the Son is discerned from the Father by ascribing unto him his Incarnation of the Virgin Mary and the holy Ghost is discerned from them both by working that Conception of him in the Virgins Womb and afterwards by his appearing in form of a Dove Matth. 3.16 Act. 2.3 and like cloven Tongues of fire A special observation about the outward works of the Persons And here you must observe that although these operations are thus ascribed to each of the three Persons of the Deity yet the self-same God did work all and each one of these works because as the Schools say most truly Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa the outward works of the Trinity cannot be separated from any one of the three Persons but are common unto all three and may be ascribed to each one of them for the Son is the Creator of all things as well as the Father John 1.3 for All things were made by him saith the Evangelist and both the Father and the Son sanctifie us and are our Comforters as well as the holy Ghost And therefore it is most truly said by Nazianzen that in these operations Non possum unum cogitare quin trium fulgore confundar nec tria possum discernere quin subito ad nuum referar I cannot think of one of these three Persons but I am dazled with the brightness of all three neither can I discern the three but presently I shall be referred and carried to one That the persons are distinguished two wayes And it is further observed by the Divines that the Persons are distinguished in the Trinity two wayes 1. By the Relations of the Persons 2. By the Properties 1. Of their Effects Effectorum 2. Of their Offices Officiorum 1. By the relation of the Persons 1. The incommunicable Relation of the three Persons are the Father the Son and the holy Ghost proceeding for the Father is not the name of the Essence but of relation unto the person of the Son so the Son is not the name of the Essence but of relation to the person of the Father and so the holy Ghost proceeding is not the name of the Essence but of relation both to the Father and the Son from whom he doth proceed 2. They are distinguished by the proprieties of the persons 2. By the proprieties of the Persons as 1. By the effects that is by the form of speech 1. The effects which the Scripture useth as when it speaketh of the Father it saith commonly 1. A quo velut à principio rerum omnium 2. Ad quem velut ad finem omnium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Of whom as of the beginning of all things and 1 Cor. 8.6 Rom. 11.36 To whom as unto the end of all things And when it speaketh of the Son it saith commonly 1. Per quem tanquam per Mediatorem et dispositorem omnium 2. In quo velut in materia omnia sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Through whom as through the Mediator and disposer of all things and In whom all things are contained and do subsist as in the proper place and matter And when it speaketh of the holy Ghost it saith commonly 1. Ex quo tanquam ex motore et agente 2. Quo velut sustinente fovente et efficiente rerum omnium causa That is From whom as from the mover and doer of all things and By whom as by the sustainer cherisher and efficient cause of all things As when Moses saith That the Spirit of God moved upon the waters that is to sustain it and to preserve the same together Gen. 1.2 2. By the Offices of the Persons that is in the work of Creation and Redemption 2. Their Offices for though the Son creates all things as well as the Father for By the Word all things were made and without it nothing was made that was made John 1.3 yet properly it is attributed unto the Father as it is set down in the Apostles Creed and though the Father redeemed us as well as the Son yet properly it is attributed unto the Son and though the Father and Son do comfort us and sanctifie us as well as the Holy Ghost yet properly it is ascribed to the Holy Ghost to be our comforter and therefore the Father is commonly described by the Name and Title of Creatour the Son by the name of Redeemer and the Holy Ghost by the name of Sanctifier and Comforter Whereby it cometh to pass that although there be an unity in the Essence of the three Persons yet in the works of our redemption each one of them hath his proper operation which is not communicable unto the others for the Trinity or three Persons was not born of a Virgin it was not crucified it was not buried but onely the Son the second person of the Trinity so that it is the proper office of the Son to be made man to suffer death and to rise again for our redemption and not of the Father or of the Holy Ghost so the Trinity said not Matth. 3.17 and c. 17.5 Luke 1.35 Tu es filius meus dilectus Thou art my well beloved Son but the Father onely said it and so the Trinity did not overshadow the blessed Virgin but the Holy Ghost alone overshadowed her And yet we must observe that as the Trinity of persons is infinite and inseparable so he worketh communiter that is both equally The outward works of the Godhead and inseparably in all the works which are called opera ad extra and therefore both the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost do the same things ratione effecti operis in respect of the work done but they do it not eodem modo after the same manner so that here in their operations there is a distinction but no diversity And so much shall serve for the distinction of the Persons both in respect of their relation and proprieties And now 2. Of the unity of the Essence of the Trinity of Persons 2 Having shewed unto you that for their works ad extra the Trinity in all and every thing equally and together always worketh in community and especially having set down for distinction sake how his own proper operation is ascribed to each person it resteth that I should declare the Vnity of the Essence of this blessed Trinity to which I must say with S. Augustine that In summa Trinitate tantum
Nathan unto David by a Prophet of which name God absolved him from his sin The second Argument 2 Argument from the quality of a Priest which should be 1. knowledge 2. uprightness Ps 72.1 whereby S. Luke proveth Christ to be a Priest is from the quality of a Priest what manner of man he should be and that is to be endued with knowledge and uprightness or judgement and righteousness for which cause the Prophet prayeth Give the King thy judgement O God and thy righteousness unto the Kings son For who is this King and this Kings son but this Priest the Messias of the world And so Moses prayeth in like manner Let thy Vrim and thy Thummim be with thy holy One Deut. 33.8 or as some read it upon the man of thy mercie for who is this holy One or this man of his mercy but this our true high Priest called the man of his mercy 1. Because he is the man that is full of mercy 2. Because that God out of his meer mercy did give this man unto us 3. Because by this man onely and none else we obtain mercy And according to these two mens prayer for those two things to be given unto the high Priest God gave them most ampâ—y without measure unto the Messias that is Esay 42.1 Jer. 23.5 our high Priest For I have put my Spirit upon him saith the Lord there is knowledge and he shall bring forth judgement unto the Gentiles there is uprightness And S. Luke sheweth that Christ had Vrim and Thummim 1. Christ his knowledge Luke 11.49 knowledge and uprightness without measure For In regard of the first he plainly calleth him the wisdome of God And his wisdome appeared 1. In his wise unreprovable and unrepliable answers to Satan that subtil Serpent to the Herodians that feigned themselves to be just men and were sent to intrap him in his speech and to the chiefest Doctours of the Jews to whom he did so wisely answer Luke 20.7 that they durst not ask him any thing at all and if he asked them any question they answered They could not tell how to answer him 2. In his heavenly teaching of his followers so truly expounding the Prophecyes of the Prophets so profoundly speaking to them in parables so plainly delivering the Law unto them and so sweetly comforting all that came unto him that the eyes of all were fastened upon him Luke 4.20 22. and they wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth And 2 His uprightness Mark 7.37 1 Pet. 2.22 In regard of the second that is his uprightness S. Mark saith that the people testified he did all things well And S. Peter saith There was no guile found in his mouth And S. Luke confirmeth the same throughout his whole Gospel 3 Argument from the office of a Priest threefold The third Argument whereby S. Luke proveth Christ to be a Priest is from the duty and office of a Priest which is specially threefold 1. To expound the Law 2. To pray for the people 3. To offer sacrifice for their sins 1. The Prophet Malachy saith The Priests lips should keep knowledge Mal. 2.7 and the people should seek the law at his mouth And S. Hierom saith It is the duty of the Priest to answer all that ask him concerning the Law and therefore if he be the Priest of the Lord Hieron super Hagg. let him know the law of the Lord or if he be ignorant of the law he is no Priest of the Lord. And therefore S. Luke sheweth That Christ taught the people most diligently expounded the Law most truly and answered all questions that were asked of him most readily And Luke 22.32 2. He sheweth That he prayed for S. Peter that his faith should not fail And S. John sheweth how he prayed for all those whom his father gave him and for all them also which should believe on him through the word And John 17.11 20. 3. How as a Priest he offered sacrifice for the sins of the people which he did both in the Garden and upon the Cross S. Luke sheweth it more amply then any of all the Evangelists for though S. Matthew and S. Mark do tell us that he was in heaviness or exceeding sorrowful Matth. 26.38 Mar 14.35 Aristotle sect 11. probl 30. et Basil in c. 17. Isaia when he came to the garden yet S. Luke expresseth the matter more fully and more lively then both of them for he faith that he fell into a sweating agony that is a perplexed fear of one that is entring into a greivous conflict as both Aristotle and Saint Basil testifie And such a perplexed fear is a most acceptable Sacrifice in the sight of God as the Prophet saith Ps 51.17 The Sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God shalt thou not despise and such a broken heart was the heart of this Priest at this time for here is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a combate and a Sacrifice a troubled Spirit and a fresh bleeding Sacrifice 1. 1. He offered up his soul in prayer Leo Serm. 7. de pass The quality of Christ his prayer Brevis oratio penetrat coelum He offered up his soul while he was in the Garden in a fervent Prayer to God and that Prayer saith Pope Leo was in omnibus perfecta in all things perfect and for all men And it consisted like a faithfull Prayer plus gemitibus quam sermonibus rather in sighs then in words for it was saith Saint Augustine very short but very pithy few words but full of fervency and therein his intention was earnest for he went a stones cast from his Disciples his love was great for he often ingeminated Father Father his faith was stedfast for he said my father his affection was vehement for he cryed O my father his humility was unfaigned for he kneeled down and with great reverence he fell groveling upon his face as Saint Matth. witnesseth his constancie was apparent for he prayed three times his obedience was unreprovable for he said Not my will but thy will be fulfilled and his fervency was admirable for every word drew drops of blood and therefore this prayer was directed as an incense in the sight of his father and the lifting up of his hands as an evening sacrifice Ps 14.2 And as the Apostle saith he was heard in that which he feared and he had all that he desired for whereas S. Bernard demandeth Quid oras domine quid sudas and quid sitis for what dost thou pray O Lord and why dost thou sweat Saint Hilary answereth Hilarius l. 10. de lâ—inâ—t Pro nobis oratio pro nobis sudor est his prayer and his sweat and his thirst and all was for us and he obtained all for us And then 2. As he thus offered up his soul in
learning coldly and carelesly as indifferent whether they get little or much but as the woman that lost her groat lighted a Candle and swept the house and sought diligently for it till she found it so must we seek for this kingdom with all diligence and never leave seeking till we find it for Non mollis est via ad astra the way to heaven is not easie nor strewed over with sweet flowers but we must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of Heaven How easie a matter it is to slide into hell Indeed the Poet can tell you that facilis descensus averni the way to hell is very easie and you may soone slide thither by any sin Sed revocare gradus superasque evadere ad auras Hic labor hoc opus est but to climb up to heaven requires labour and pains and they that think otherwise do but deceive themselves because there are many hindrances and rubs and obstacles in our way to keep us back from this kingdom as this present world that made Demas careless of the world to come How difficult to climb to heaven and our own flesh that like Dalilah lyeth in our bosome and is more dangerous than the world and the old Serpent the Devil that goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour And therefore seeing it is so hard a matter to pass through the Pikes of these enemies Abjicienda est omnis desidia ignavia Chrysost hom 3. in Johan We must cast away all sloth and idleness saith Saint Chrysostom quia angusta via robustâ animâ opus est and because our enemies are so mighty we must be strong and of good courage that we may overcome the world subdue the flesh and resist the Devil who is Leo inter formicas a Lion among those that fear him but formica inter Leones a coward among Lions running away like Thyrsites before Achilles James 4.7 for if you resist the Devil he will flie from you saith the Apostle 2 Chron. 9.18 Six especial steps to the kingdom of heaven And if you strive to pass through these dangers and desire to know the way to Gods Kingdom you shall understand that as the ascent to Solomons Throne was Per sex gradus by six stairs so we have six special steps to ascend to the Throne of grace 1. Regeneration The first is by Regeneration Quia nascimur ad laborem renascimur ad salutem because we are born the children of wrath to labour and to miseries and therefore we must be born again that is by the washing of water and the working of Gods Spirit if you would walk towards this kingdom for Except you be born of Water and of the Spirit John 3. you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven saith our Saviour The second is by Outward profession that is 2. Outward profession Cant. 1.8 as Solomon saith by following the steps of the fleck unto the tents of the Shepherds and as they do to profess the Faith and never to be ashamed of the Cross of Christ The third is by Hearing Gods Word 3. Hearing Gods Word i. e. the truth of the holy Scripture and not the dreams and traditions of men for my Sheep hear my voyce saith Christ and if you hear his voyce your souls shall live saith the Prophet Isaiah Jer. 23.16 and c. 12.6 Deut. 13.3 John 10.5 Matt. 7.15 but the hearing of old newly revived Heresies is not the way to this kingdom but the way from it and therefore we are flatly forbidden to hear the doctrine of all such deceitfull teachers The fourth is by Believing Gods Word 4. Believing Gods word and giving credit unto his sayings even as Abraham credidit Deo believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness for otherwise if we believe not what we hear our hearing of it will avail us nothing but rather be a witness against us and yet as the Prophet Isaiah demands Isai 53.1 Who hath believed our report So I fear that of many which come to hear Gods word there be but few that believe what we say when as we have too many men like those whereof Tertullian speaketh Qui credebant Scripturis ut crederent adversus Scripturas i. e. to believe what they pleased out of the Scripture and many more that do lead their lives so lewdly and so dissolutely and follow after the vanities of the world so eagerly as if they believed there were neither heaven nor hell The fifth is By continual Prayers 5. By continual prayer and constant invocation upon God that he would open our ears that we might hear and so work in our hearts that we might believe the truth of God for so our Saviour biddeth us Ask and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you and S. Augustine saith If any man would find out the truth agant orando et quaerendo et bene vivendo ut inveniant Let them pray to God and study hard and live holily and God will help them to understand the truth The sixth and last step of this Ladder that reacheth up to the Kingdom of Heaven is by doing the will of God and leading our lives according to Gods Laws for so the Apostle tells us Rom. 2.13 Not the hearers of the Law but the doers of the Law shall be justified And Christ saith Not every one that saith Lord Matth. 7.21 Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven So that to hear Sermons to understand Gods Word and to pray to God is all in vain unless we do study and strive withall to do our best endeavours to live according to Gods will And therefore 2. Our Saviour desirous to shew unto us the readiest way to come to this Kingdom of God Matth. 6.33 saith Seek ye the Kingdom of God and his righteousness that is the righteousness which is acceptable in his sight and that is as St. Paul saith To follow peace with all men Heb. 12.14 and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord And you must observe that righteousness here is to be referred to God and not to the Kingdom because as Cajetan well observeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the feminine Gender and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the masculine Cajetan in loc and therefore must be referred ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto God and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kingdom of God The which thing together with infinite such other doubtful and obscure places of Scripture doth sufficiently shew unto you that ignorant unlearned men that have neither Arts nor Language neither Greek nor Latine but do run to teach others before they have learnt any things themselves like those in the Canticles who watched over others but kept not their own flock are but blind