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A08457
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The pearle of perfection sought after by Charles Odingsells, Doctour of Divinitie
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Odingsells, Charles, d. 1637.
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1637
(1637)
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STC 18782; ESTC S113411
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51,839
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106
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departure from them and comming againe unto them he saith Joh. 14. v. 29. and this haue I told you before it is come to passe that when it is come to passe yee might beleeue Now wee may not thinke that the Apostles beleeved not before because Christ said that yee might beleeue but as St. Augustine expounds it Aug. in Ioan. tract 79. Creditur autem hoc non â—â—de nova sedaucta this is beleeved not by a new faith but by saith increased For in every vertue and consequently in faith there be three things remarkable First initium secondly incrementum thirdly complementum First the beginning secondly the growth or increase thirdly the fulnesse and perfection Faith is begun in spirituall babes or infants growes and increaseth in proficients is full and perfect in men of ripe yeares who dare boldly considently say as it is written Let us draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith Hebr. 10.22 having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water CHAP. XXI Of righteousnesse inherent and first of righteousnesse according to morall Philosophie THat I may treat of this argument with more perspicuitie to be better understood it is not amisse to follow that old Pule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that will teach well must first looke into the names of those things whereof he treateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. 2. cap. 7. For seeing there are more things than names and consequently many things without names hence it coÌ„meth to passe that there be many names equivocall signifying more things than one whereby the understanding is apt to be deceived Wherefore it is necessary to consider what is meant by that righteousnesse whereof I am now to speake In the schoole of humane philosophie wee are taught that there be three things in the soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is passions powers habits Arist eth 2.4 Now it is not of passions or powers but of habits that we are called vertuous or vicious good or evill And amongst habits is ranked Righteousnesse by which men worke righteousnesse desiring and doing those things that are just And this is taken ambiguously either for a particular vertue or a generall for a particular vertue as when it is made one of the foure cardinall vertues and so distinguished from prudence temperance and fortitude Cicero Offic. 1. as you haue it in the Oratour and in St. Bernard Bern. de confid ad Eug. li. 1. cap. 8. saying Modum justitia quaerit prudentia invenit fortitudo vendicat temperantia possidet justice seekes mediocritie prudence findes it fortitude challengeth it temper ance possesseth it Otherwhile it is taken for a generall vertue a panarie or cornucopia of vertues Whereupon Aristotle saith Arist Eth. 5. cap. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not a particular kinde of vertue but an universall vertue according to that of Theognis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In righteousnesse all vertue is summarily comprised The consideration hereof mooved the Philosopher to magnific it and adorne it with that encomium Arist Eth. 5. cap. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither is the glorious evening starre nor Lucifer the bright morning starre so wondered at and admired of men as the vertue of righteousnesse which if wee could behold with mortall eyes it would ravish and bewitch us with the loue of it So greatly so highly did the pagan Philosopher extoll the morall vertue of righteousnesse CHAP. XXII How Christian inherent righteousnesse differeth from morall righteousnesse CHristian righteousnesse excelleth morall righteousnesse as much as supernaturall things things naturall as heavenly things earthly as the spirit the flesh Morall righteousnesse coÌ„meth short of Christian inherent righteousnesse two wayes First Quoad rectum principium secondly quoad debitum finem first in respect of the procreant cause secondly in regard of the due end Out of what fountaine flowes humane righteousnesse Surely from humane instruction humane motiues meanes and industrie But our inherent righteousnesse flowes from GOD the onely fountaine of all true good and is by him infused into our hearts through the powerfull operation of his sanctifying Spirit What was the end which the pagan Philosophers aimed at in the exercise of morall righteousnesse Was it any other than that of the vaine-glorious Pharisees in the Gospell the praise of men and their owne glorie But the end which we aime at in our good works is the true end Finis ultimus ultimatus the last end even Gods glory the very butte and marke whereat we shoote the arrowes of all our pious endeavours and holy actions according to that most excellent rule of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether yee eate or drinke or what soever you doe doe all to the glorie of God Againe Christian inherent right cousnesse is notably distingnished from morall righteousnesse for morall righteousnesse is acquired by many precedent acts of ventue according to 〈◊〉 Act les Rule Arist Eth. li. 2. cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habits are gotten by semblable acts and operations But in righteousnesse inherent it is farre otherwise for the habit is first infused of God not acquired by man or humane meanes then from the habit so infused flow many subsequent acts of righteousnesse even all good workes The man must be righteous before his worke be righteous we must be arbaresy ustitis Esay 61.3 trees of righteousnesse before wee can bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse Math. 7.17 the good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree emill fruit from hence our Saviour inferres this conclusion Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them Now inherent righteousnesse complies with morall righteousnesse in this that it is some times taken for a partioular vertue respecting onely our neigh bour as the proper object thereof and so the Apostle hath it Tit. 2.12 where he saith The Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaohing us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts wee should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world There righteousnesse towards man is distinguished from prery towards God and sobrietie in our selues Sometimes it is taken for a generall vertue comprehending many vertues in it so Moses useth it saying Deut. 6.25 And it shall be our righteousnesse if wee obserue to doe all these Commandements before the Lord our God as He hath commanded us Where righteousnesse hath for the proper adequate object thereof God man and our selues Thus St. Peter taketh it after he had said that God is no respecter persons he addes this proose Act. 10.35 But in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him So our blessed Saviour seemes to take it Math. 6.33 Secke yee first the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and so St. Iohn If yee know that he is righteous 1 Ioh. 2. v. 29. you know that
we that dath righteousnesse is borne of him and in the same Eplistle He that doth righteousnesse is righteous as He is righteous In this fense the Trumpet of grace teâ—â—eth the Law the Law of righteousnesse saying of the Iewes Rom. 9.31 〈◊〉 Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse hath not attained unto the Law of righteousnesse So God by Ezechiel Ezech. 18.20 The righteousnesse of the righteous shall be upon him and after speaking of the reformed penitent vers 22. In his rightenousnesse that he hath done he shall liue Where he implies all duties of obedience injoyned in the Law to be the way unto life according to that of Moses Levit. 18. â—â— He that doth them shall line in them CHAP. XXIII Of the nature of inherent righteousnesse AS the will of man was depraved and became imperfect through the losse of originall righteousnesse in the state of innocency so it must be in some measure perfected by inherent righteousnesse beforeman be fitted and prepared to passe from the stare of grace unto the state of glorie Inherent righteousnesse called sometimes by Divines regeneration or renovation or inchoation of a new life in us is a supernaturall gift and singular endowment powred into our hearts by God through the operation of his Spirit And by meanes of this habituall endowment wee are inclined and disposed to doe well to obey Gods will to doe those things that are just to be fruitfull in good workes and to worke all righteousnesse And so by degrees we haue Gods image renewed in us and put on the coate which Adam put off for by this meanes wee put on that new man which after God is created in right cousnesse and true Holinesse Ephes 4.24 Now by this righteousnesse we are truely and really just though imperfectly and it is called our owne righteousnesse to distinguish it from the imputed righteousnes of Christ Iesus which is every way most perfect and absolute The chosen vessell of mercie calls it our owne righteousnesse Zanch. in cap. 3. ad Philop. And this he doth as Zanchic observeth for two causes First because it is really and truely infused into our hearts of God by his Spirit and so is made ours Secondly because the actions of pietie equitie temperance and all righteousnesse flowing from it are performed by us For God by his grace giues us a will and desire to serue him and feare him and to doe righteously but it is we that will and desire it is we that serue God and feare him and doe the workes of righteousnesse CHAP. XXIIII Of the fruit of inherent Iustice IF we would goe on still unto perfection we must bring forth the fruit of inherent justice we must walke in the way of actuall righteousnesse and be ever found in the practise of vertue and exercise of good workes we must not suffer the heavenly fire enkindled in our hearts to goe out and die but blow it up daily by vertuous operations and actions Habituall righteousnesse is that roote of grace the branches whereof are holy desires and endeavours and the fruits growing on them are good workes wherein wee must labour to abound that so as St. Peter saith 2 Pet. 1 1â— An abundant entrance may be ministred unto us into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and Savlour Iesus Christ Now as we see the Rose growing on the branches and crop it for the fragrant smell and other uses but the roote in the ground is hid and wee see it not So the roote of righteousnesse is hid in the heart and seene onely of God who onely is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the understander of the heart before whom all things are naked and bare even the thoughts of men and Angells but the fruit of good workes is seene of men and is profitable to the doers and to them that see them Yea by them we are declaratorily justified before men and reputed just in the judgement of the Church as Zacharie and Elizabeth were in the Synagogue Act. 1.6 For this cause our blessed Saviour stirreth up and exhorteth his Disciples to the practise and exercise of good workes Math. 5.16 saying unto them Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaven If wee be living branches abiding in thetrue Vine let us giue eare unto the Vine saying unto us Joh. 15.7.5.8 I am the Vine and yee are the branches He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit And after Herein is my Father glorified that yee beare much fruit so shall you be my Disciples Here Christ insinuateth that if wee be in him we must bring forth fruit yea much fruit many good workes laying up in store for our selues a good foundation against the time to come 1 Tim. 6.18 that we may lay hold on eternall life We must not verbally only but really professe Christ we must not say Lord Lord but doe what he bids us Marcus Aurelius observeth that the old Greekes were wont to speake much Mar. Auret cap. 8. and doe little but the ancient Romanes were wont to speake little and doe much Let not us Christians be like the talkatiue Grecians but the actiue Romanes let not us be good speakers and ill doers like unto the Philosopher in Gellius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A. Gell. li. 17. cap. 19. factis procul verbis tenus all words and no deeds least we be no better than the figge treegrowing betweene Hierusalem and Bethany which bare leaues and no fruit and therefore was accursed of Christ It is not suitable to be called Christians and in our liues to imitate pagans Non sufficit nobis nomen Christianum Amb. in serm de ascen Dom. quod accepimus si non opera bona Christiani fecerimus saith St. Ambrose the name of Christian which we haue taken on us is not sufficient for us unlesse wee doe the good workes of a Christian What shall the name availe us without workes correspondent Nomenhabes factum non habes saith St. Augustine Aug. in 1. ep Ioan. c. 3. v. 17 thou hast the name but not the deede thou sayest well and doest ill thou wearest Christs liverie and vauntest of the cognisance of his name but indeede thou servest Satan and doest the workes of the Devill and doest the workes of the Devill and art unlesse thou repent to be ranked amongst those miserable for lorne hypocrites of whom St. Paul writes to the Bishop of Crete saying They professe they know God Tit. 2.16 but in workes they denie Him being abhominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate CHAP. XXV Of the nature and qualitie of good workes MAnuall Artists doe by a certaine rule trie and examine their worke whether it be right or wrong even so in Religion wee trie and examine our morall actions by the Law of GOD as an infallible rule