A SERMON Preached before the KING AT NEW MARKET April 24. 1670. By MILES BARNE Fellow of St. Peter's College in Cambridge Printed by His Majesties special Command POCULA SACRA HINC LUCEM ET ALMA MATER CANâ—â— BRIGIA CAMBRIDGE Printed by John Hayes Printer to the University 1670. And are to be sold by Edw. Story Bookseller in Cambridge 1 St. John Chap. 5. ver 4. And this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith THe Church of Christ here below is justly stiled the Church Militant not onely in distinction to that which is Triumphant above but likewise upon the score of those many enemies which she encounters in the world and consequently every member of the same at his first entrance into it his initiation into Christianity doth solemnly denounce war against the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked world Our life is termed a continual Warfare Christ is called the Captain of our Salvation his Apostles acquaint us how much they suffered because they would not deny the Faith nor turn Renegadoes from Him particularly His stout Champion Saint Paul gives in a large account of the several Conflicts which he had with the world And how he came off more than Conquerour through Christ that strengthned him when he was in danger of suffering Martyrdom at Rome he made it his pious boast that he had fought the good fight that he had kept the Faith And when he would render his Christian impregnable against the assaults of the world he commands him to put on the whole Armour of God otherguise weapons then those which either Homer armed Achilles with or Virgil his Aeneas But above all he bids him take the shield of Faith wherewith he boldly assures him that he should be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked For This is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith I cannot do greater right to the Text then if I should awhile insist upon and recount to you the several Trophies and noble Atchievements of Faith How that not onely the Authour and Finisher of it for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and was therefore set down at the right hand of the Throne of God But moreover how its first embracers obtained a good report as well by the greatness of their sufferings as the strangeness of their conquests Their sufferings were as great as either wit or malice could make them And yet their courage was far greater for they did not onely triumph over their most exquisite torments but oftentimes conquered their most obdurate tormentours As for their conquests they were carried on by no humane force they used no open Hostility the stratagems of war were as much against their simplicity as upon this score they were contrary to the express words of their betrayed Master Peter put up thy sword it is enough There was but one single blow given and that too upon the justest occasion that ever presented it self in the world For it was to rescue the very Lord of Life out of the hands of that miscreant who betrayed Him to Death And yet he that gave it received a severe check for his pains They that take the sword shall perish by the sword Let Mahomet propagate his senceless Alcoran by force of Arms let him by the same power he tyranniz'd over the bodies of his vassals captivate their souls and so at once betray both to utter ruine Let Enthusiasts and Fanaticks dictate the whimsies of a cras'd Brain those slavish Doctrines which are but the necessary result of a morose temper for the immediate Oracles of God the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gifts and Graces of his free and Princely Spirit And if they be not presently received let them betake themselves to open violence commit the most horrid Outrages upon their fellow creatures as they have done in several parts of the world when once they got the sword into their hands But the Gospel of Peace knows no such boysterous methods Christs Souldiers for the Propagation of his Doctrines never drew any sword but that of the Spirit They used none of those cruel Engines by which the Chieftains of the world carried on their bloudy Conquests Their weapons were spiritual The Victories which they aim'd at were over mens minds They had no defence but the Breast-plate of Faith And yet they fought not against flesh and bloud onely but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the darkness of this world against Spiritual wickedness in high places And as they fought against them so they overcame them By their Faith they spoiled Principalities devested the evil spirits of their usurped power over the minds of men threw them out of their Temples silenced their Oracles beat down their images making shew of them openly and triumphing over them And as the Romans to magnifie their Conquests were wont to lead their captived Enemies in Triumph through their Cities so the Apostles by the might of Christ carried the powers of Hell in open triumph as those whom they had victoriously taken captive Thus by the light of Faith was the Prince of darkness vanquished and all his strong holds cast down And as they thus conquered him so did they all those whom he had made Enemies to the Faith Neither the greatness of the Romane Empire on the one side nor the malicious practises of the Infidel Jews on the other neither the wit crafty wiliness of the Philosophers who decried the Disciples for so many credulous Fops nor yet the Harangues which the Oratours made against the meanest of Christs Doctrines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as containing nothing in them either Great or New were able to disparage or withstand the Faith Insomuch that notwithstanding the great opposition it met with in the world The despicableness as to all outward appearances of the Apostles who first promulged it the great prejudices which the generality of men had taken up against it as concerning this Sect we know that it is every where spoken against and that most forcible tie of interest which hindred many from becoming Christians I say notwithstanding these great disadvantages it grew mightily and prevailed And the Sect of the Nazarens as Tertullus maliciously called the Christians was in a short time more numerous then any Sect whatsoever the Doctrines of Christ more universally received then the Dogmata the Opinions of any the most renowned Philosophers In sum the Disciples by believing on the name of the Lord Jesus from silly cowardly persons became valiant and wise conquering the strong confuting the learned baffling the wits and overpowring the great ones The Faith which they had received they valiantly maintained in spite of bonds and imprisonments threats and intreaties through honours and dishonours cruel mockings and scourgings In a word In spite of all the various and most affrighting shapes which Death could present it self in Thus the Disciples and Primitive Christians
would have blasted the credit of his miracles they used such a ridiculous argument as onely served to prove how well they deserved that character which Christ gave of them viz. that they were of their Father the Devil or more then so since they endeavoured to exceed him in his essential property of lying and calumniating Then as for his Offices He was to be a King Infidel Jews and so he was though not as ye vainly imagined that he should prove a victorious Prince conquer all the Nations of the earth by the dint of his Sword And that all the Potentates of the world should lay down their Sceptres at his Triumphant feet From which of your Prophets could ye fetch this conceit At his coming were not swords to be beaten into Plowshares and spears into pruning-hooks And therefore surely he never intended to march in Battel aray or to engage in any bloudy Conquests Was not he to be lowly riding upon an Ass and a Colt the Foal of an Ass and therefore a despiser of the Pomp and Grandeur of this world Did he not plainly disown all Sovereignty here on Earth My kingdom is not of this World And indeed what though he had been more victorious than Alexander won more Battels than ever Cesar did Would this have given him a renown comparable to those victories which he obtained over hearts their unruly passions and appetites What though he had appeared in more magnificent splendour than Herod when he sat on his gaudy Throne would this have been a Garb half so becoming the Son of God as those Robes of Righteousness which made him shine so bright in the world His Kingly Power was conspicuous in more illustrious Instances through the whole System of the Creation The Angels were ambitious to minister unto him The Devils trembled at his word and fell like lightning before him The wind and the Sea obeyed him Hunger and Thirst those impatient desires waited his leisure Sickness and Health Death and the Grave and Hell it self were forced to acknowledge his Sovereignty As for his Priestly Office The Aaronical part of it he dispatched by offering himself a sacrifice to his incensed Father And doth he not still continue a Priest after the Order of Melchizedek in blessing us and crowning us with the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Ghost As for his Prophetical office which consisted first in making known to us the Will of God This he did through the whole course of his Life but especially in that Divine Sermon on the Mount wherein he added whatsoever was wanting explained whatsoever was obscure in the Old Law and propounded Blessedness upon such easie suitable and pleasant Terms that we cannot miss of Heaven without making our selves miserable on Earth As for the second part of it which consisted in foretelling things to come of this he gave many Instances particularly that sad one of the destruction of Jerusalem which he sighed out in the very anguish of his Soul O Jerusalem Jerusalem Behold your House is left unto you Desolate Which was accordingly accomplished by the Romans under the conduct of Titus about the 70 year of our Lord. When the miserable Jews too late found him a true Prophet to their cost For from that very time they became a most distressed and despised Nation Instead of being any longer the Darlings of Heaven the People of God and the Seed of the Faithful they became the scorn of men the refuse of the Earth and a Proverb of Infidelity An instance so dismal attended with such Tragical circumstances that it alone is enough to strike terrour into all those who will not believe that Jesus is the Son of God But if to this we add the miracles which he performed The Divinity of his sayings For never man spake like him The unblameableness of his Life For he did no sin neither was guile found in his Mouth If to these the infallible testimony of the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost the Confession of the Demoniack What have I to do with Thee Jesus Thou Son of God most high If to these the dismal Prodigies which happened at his Death As the renting of the Vail of the Temple to shew the Abrogation of the Old Law the cleaving of the Rock to upbraid the more stony hearts of his Crucifiers The total Eclipse of the Sun that it might not behold the setting of the Sun of Righteousness If to these his powerful Resurrection and after he had conversed fourty days upon Earth his no less wonderful Ascension And lastly the great esteem his very enemies had of him manifested in the motion which Tiberius made to the Senate for his Apotheosis He who seriously considers these things will be forced to confess with the Centurion truly this was the Son of God Which Confession is that Faith which overcometh the World And that it may prove effectual it must be duly Qualified The second thing to be considered What are the necessary Qualifications to render our Faith victorious 1. Then our Faith must be lively Warm and Active For if a dull languid habit of Faith would do the great work of our Salvation Then might those who are dead in trespasses and sins hope for as fair an inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven as any who by mortifying their earthly members raised themselves to newness of Life Then might those lazy cowardly souls who never had courage enough to give Battle to any one single Lust expect the same recompense of reward with those generous spirits who by the difficult and assiduous Acquists of virtue obtained a noble Victory over themselves Then might the Regions of Purity be defiled by things common and unclean And Heaven be so far from being a reward that it would be as much shunned by all good men as Hell is now dreaded by the wicked If an Historical notional Faith would serve our turn then might Lucifer and his cursed crew hope to regain their first glorious estate For the very Devils believe and tremble notwithstanding we are ascertain'd that they are reserved in everlasting chains under Darkness unto to the judgement of the great Day In sum then that I may neither enter into dispute with the Solifidian concerning Justification by Faith alone nor yet contend with the Romanist whether good works have any part in that glorious Act I am sure Saint James is positive in his determination For as the Body without the Spirit is Dead so is Faith without works also And consequently no more able to obtain that difficult Victory which is here attributed to a lively Faith then a dead Body is to perform the functions of Life And indeed as Epicurus was the greatest Atheist in the world in allowing the existence of God but then as if he had suspected either his Prudence or Justice in managing the affairs of the world complementing him out of his Sovereignty over it for fear of disturbing
the serenity of his Being so will the Solifidian be found to be the truest Infidel who allowing Faith to be necessary to salvation most perfidiously strips it of all those enlivening Properties which might fit and adorn it for so great an attainment Our Faith must be Uniform and Undivided For there is one Lord one Faith one Baptism and one onely name under Heaven given unto men whereby we must be saved even the name of the Lord Jesus So long as the Christians continued together and were of the same mind so long as they maintained simplicity and liberality being solicitous for nothing but an Holy life when all the gain they studied was Godliness when all the strife and emulation they had was to out-vie each other in the Practise of Piety when there were no Divisions but of Goods and Possessions to be parted among the Needy Then did the Church flourish and a daily Addition was made of them that should be saved But when instead of these lovely Qualities there arose Sects and Schisms when once that unhappy Distinction was made of Paul and Apollo of Christ and Cephas when men began to be lovers of themselves more then of God when the old strife was renewed which of them should be the greatest when the loss of a Preferment was cruelly revenged upon the Church by the setting up of an Heresie when the wits began to deride the simplicity of the Gospel and the learned were divided about points of Faith Then did the Church truly suffer and sustained more damage by these intestine broyles then by the hottest persecutions of the Heathen Emperours Of the truth whereof we have too sad an instance in the fourth Century when the tares of Arianism had almost quite choaked the wheat when the gates of Hell were so near prevailing against the Church that the Catholick Faith seemed to have but one Confessour the Church of Christ to be no where visible but in Athanasius his Temple if that common saying be true The whole world against Athanasius and Athanasius against the whole world So much it concerns us to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace For as a Kingdom so a Church divided within it self cannot stand And since this cannot be effected by the sole Threats and Menaces of the Gospel though most severe against Schismaticks nor yet by the utmost power Christ hath committed to his Church the dreadful sentence of excommunication by Saint Paul defined to be the delivering up to Satan For what will they care for the Power of the Keys who account it their priviledge to be without the pale of the Church Therefore is it that God hath ordained Kings to be Nursing Fathers And from hence arises another way as ancient as Constantine the Great the first Christian Emperour of dealing with obstinate Dissenters the enacting and executing Penal Laws against them And may we not yet hope that they whom forbearance made dangerous and Toleration it self at length rendred intollerable may at last be reclaimed however the danger prevented by a late Renowned Act An Act worthy the Royal Fiat of him who justly weareth the glorious Title of Defender of the Faith and becoming the greatness of its establishers who could never have done God and their Country the Church and State better Service than by preventing and suppressing Schismatical and Seditious Conventicles 3. Our Faith must be stedfast and well grounded For if it be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine it must of necessity at last suffer Shipwrack They that have itching ears open to every Novel Teacher are in danger of forfeiting the Ancient Catholick Faith Thus if instead of relying upon the Authority of Primitive Fathers and Councils we admit of every upstart Writer will not this at length invalidate the commands of the Apostles If we receive our Religion from the Tribunal of the Civil Magistrates may not this at last bring us under the condemnation of the Pharisees of rendring the Word of God of none effect through their Traditions And as it must be stedfast so it must be well grounded That is we must be well assured of the truth of it our selves and able to convince the gain-sayers For our own assurance 't is enough that we have the same Faith which was once delivered to the Saints That they had the honour to converse with the Authour of it that they were Persons of the greatest Integrity and therefore would not deceive others that they were Persons very inquisitive and circumspect and therefore would not be deceived themselves that it was confirmed by miracles attested and sealed by their Bloud that it prevailed in spite of all opposition and hath been kept entire in all Ages of the Church According to Christs own Promise That the Gates of Hell should never prevail against it And now I might very well challenge our Modern Infidels to produce half such convincing Arguments for the certainty of any thing which they believe as these which the Christian hath to assure him of the truth of his Faith But the prosecution of this Topick though very pleasing would carry me beyond the limits of a Sermon The best way to convince gain-sayers is to hold fast the faithful word as it hath been taught or as the Greek renders it which is according to Doctrine not according to Fancy private Interpretation or the Pretensions to an extraordinary Light For the constancy of the Christian in his Profession hath always been found one of the best Arguments to confute Hereticks Faith thus qualified that hath good works for its Life-Guard that is at unity with its self that is built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner stone shall stand like an impregnable Fortress against all the Batteries of the World The last thing to be considered 3. That Faith thus Qualified is the best and surest way of overcoming the World What is here meant by the World let Saint John determine The Lusts of the flesh the Lusts of the eye and the Pride of Life to which we may add evil Examples Persecutions and in a word whatsoever Bait the great Adversary of Mankind throws in our way to seduce us from our Religion and consequently as he dispossessed our First Parents of a Terrestrial so to prevent our arrival at a Celestial Paradise And are these the strongest Forces which the World can muster up and bring into the Field against us Impar congressus The Flesh against the Spirit The members against the mind impotent Earth against the Powers of Heaven all of them in open Rebellion And may they receive a Doom answerable to their Crime 1. Then Faith bids you consider the baseness and weakness of your Enemies Lusts and Pride Things which the common consent of Mankind hath branded with a note of Infamy He that makes his Belly his God hates to be counted a Glutton