answerable vnto the soule is Christ the Mediator who therefore in six hundred places of Scripture is said to be our life And himselfe saith of himselfe I am the resurrection and the life and againe I am the way the truth and the life Secondly as the Soule so hath Christ also life in himselfe As the Father saith he hath life in himselfe so hath he giuen vnto the Sonne also to haue life in himselfe and S. Paul saith that the Spirit of life is in the Sonne And S. Iohn This life is in his Sonne And againe This life was in him and the life was the light of men Thirdly as the soule hath not only life in it but also a quickning power so hath Christ also So S. Iohn As the Father so the Sonne quickneth whomsoeuer he will And S. Paul The first Adam was made a living soule and the second Adam was made a quickning spirit Fourthly as the soule vntill it be personally vnited quickneth not so neither doth Christ vntill he be mystically vnited Of this Vnion I cannot now speake I shall hereafter when I come to those words That they may be one as we are one I in them and thou in me In the meane season thus S. Paul I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me that is I liue by Christ vnited vnto me And S. Iohn He that hath the Son that is he that is vnited vnto him hath life but he that hath not the Sonne that is is not vnited vnto him hath not life Fiftly as the Vnion of soule and body makes and constitutes Man so vpon our Vnion with Christ are we made new men Christian men spirituall men yea as is aboue proued very Christ. So speaketh S. Paul in the place alleadged and elsewhere yee are of God in Christ Iesus that is by being in Christ yee haue receiued of God a new essence or being Sixtly as from the naturall being of man comes naturall life so from the spirituall issues spirituall life Because I liue saith our Saviour yee to wit who receiue of my spirit and so are spirituall men yee I say shall liue Seventhly and lastly as from humane life proceed humane operations so from the spirituall proceed spirituall actions This hath beene already shewed wherevnto I now only adde that of S. Paul If Christ be in you the body indeed is dead vnto sinne but the spirit is life vnto righteousnesse And thus you see how and after what manner spirituall life is conveyed vnto vs from Christ. It is further added that this life is not only from Christ but that he is the donour and giuer thereof It is from him but by way of gift For so it is said that he may giâ—e So also elsewhere The bread of God is he which commeth downe from heauen and giueth life vnto the world And S. Paul the wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Wherevpon S. Peter calleth it the grace of life And the scripture every where imputeth the whole worke of our salvation from the beginning vnto the end thereof vnto meere grace Now as he saith Gratia non est gratia nisisit omnimodo gratuita grace is not grace vnlesse it be every way of free gift And certainly if it be not of free gift it is of merit and due preparation in our selues But I beseech you what merit what preparation of himselfe was there in Adam vnto life while as yet he lay like a dead lump of clay before his maker What in Lazarus when he had beene quatriduanus foure dayes in the graue and began to putrifie and corrupt Surely none at all No more can there be in vs who before we receiue this life are vtterly dead in trespasses and sins If the creature disposed not himselfe vnto his creation nor man vnto his generation nor the science vnto its incition how can we prepare our selues either to our renovation or regeneration or ingrafting into the mysticall body of Christ In a word can sinne be a disposition or preparation vnto Grace I trow no. Yet whatsoeuer we doe before we are new creatures and liue the spirituall life is at the best but splendidum peccatum a gay and glittering sinne For the agent is altogether sinfull and carnall and whatsoeuer is of flesh is flesh Doe we gather grapes of thornes or figgs of thistles or good fruite of an evill tree No verily For such as the tree is such fruit it yeeldeth Good it cannot yeeld till it be made good Made good we are not till wee beleeue Till we beleeue therefore can wee doe no good If so then what is not of Faith is sinne and pleaseth not God And what pleaseth not him cannot dispose vnto grace Being then without merit and disposition vnto grace it must needs follow that as spirituall life is by Vnion so it is also by way of gift from Christ. The vse of all may be first to teach vs that all they who are not vnto Christ mystically vnited are spiritually dead and what actions soeuer proceed from them notwithstanding all the specious and goodly shew they make are not living actions For being not acted by the spirit of Christ they are not like vnto bodies animated by a humane soule but vnto such dead bodies rather as are raised vp by magicians and are stirred and moved only by the spirit of Satan These may seeme to liue but indeed liue not And if spirituall life bee the only blessed life then must these needs bee in a most ruefull and miserable case Secondly it teacheth vs that if we desire to liue this wee must indeavour by all meanes to be vnited vnto Christ. He is come vnto vs that we might haue life yea and that we might haue it in abundance If we come not to him it is our fault if we liue not And iust cause shall we giue him to complaine of vs as he did of the Iewes yee will not come to me that yee might haue life Our comming is by Faith By it Christ dwelleth in our harts and by it is the iust man said to liue This purgeth and purifieth our soules and produceth in vs the works of charity which are the right operations of Spirituall life Thirdly seeing we liue by Christ it is reason we should also liue vnto him For as S. Augustin saith every thing should liue to that by which it liueth as the body because it liveth by the Soule ought to liue vnto the Soule Hence therefore is it that S. Paul would haue all that are dead vnto sinne to reckon themselues aliue but aliue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Hence also he affirmeth that none of vs liveth to himselfe but that we liue vnto the Lord and that himselfe through the law is dead to the law that he might liue vnto God But most
bee made acquainted with the mystery of the Gospell In earth also hath hee power not only ouer men as is aboue declared but also as the Psalmist witnesseth over the beasts of the field the foules of the ayre the fishes of the sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths thereof Whence it is that the creature being sensible of the vanitie wherevnto it is now subiect longeth and waiteth for his second comming in hope then to be freed from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Even the divels themselues and whatsoeuer is vnder the earth is subiect vnto him While he liued here on earth he cast them out commanded and restrained them at pleasure yea to others also he gaue power to cast them out in his name It is hee that hath the keyes of hell and death and by force of them he reserueth the sinning Angels in euerlasting vnder darknesse vnto the iudgement of the great day Finally vnto him is put in subiection not only this present world but that also as S. Paul saith that which is yet to come If all this be so will some say and Christs power bee so large why is it here restrained only vnto all Flesh that is vnto Mankinde I answere that these words are not to be vnderstood exclusiuely as if his power reached no further then vnto man but principally and especially and that for two causes First because he tooke flesh and therein suffered not for Angels or any other creature but only for vs men according to that in the Nicene Creed who for vs men and our saluation came downe from heauen and was incarnate Wherevpon saith the Apostle Hee tooke not on him the nature of Angels but tooke on him the seed of Abraham Secondly for that as all things in the first creation were made for man so in the recreation and restoring of man it was fit that power should be giuen ouer all things for man Wherevpon saith the Apostle All things are yours and yee are Christs and Christ is Gods The consideration of this large power of Christ extending it selfe not only over all flesh but all other things also for our benefit should teach vs in any caâ—e not to rebell against our Liege Lord but as becommeth dutifull and loyall subiects with all humblenesse to submit our selues vnto his soueraigne authority That which he requireth at our hands is according as S. Paul teacheth first to confesse with our tongues that Iesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father aduancing him aboue all powers thrones and dominations whatsoeuer and neuer to be afraid or ashamed to professe our selues to bee his Christian seruants notwithstanding any danger might accrew vnto vs thereby And secondly to bow the knee at the name of Iesus that is in heart to honour to adore to worship him to loue and feare him to put all our trust confidence vpon him and in one word to obey him And to this end we are to vse all possible meanes to settle and confirme this faith in vs that he is our Lord and hath absolute power and authority ouer vs and then diligently to study and enquire what his lawes are that so wee may both knowe what he commands and wherein we are to obey For the ignorance of the law excuseth not and it is good to see with our owne and not with other menseies For how doe we knowe whether they will direct vs But then vnto faith and knowledge are we to ioyne practice yeelding vnto him absolute constant and cheerefull obedience and that not only actiuely but if need bee passiuely also even with the expence of our dearest blood Neither need we to make question of doing any thing he commandeth For his scepter as Dauid â—aith is a right scepter and whatsoeuer he commandeth is iust It is also easie and not hard to be done For my yoke saith he is easie and my burthen light and his commandements â—aith S. Iohn are not greiuous The law indeed of workes is a rigorous law and vnsufferable Wherefore by S. Paul it is called a killing letter But the law of Christ is a law of grace requiring only repentance from dead workes beleefe in him that hath merited forgiuenesse of sinne and sincere â—ndeauour of new obedience God accepting the will for the deed To this therefore if wee willingly submit our selues we shall finde first Protection from him and he is the stronger man against all our enimies then provision in all our needs and necessities lastly rest to our soules by peace of conscience here and eternall refreshment in the next world Nay we our selues also shall haue power over the nations and raigne with him as kings world without end But if through stiffeneckednesse wee refuse the yoke and pull backe the shoulder rebelling against him knowe we that he who sitteth in heauen will laugh vs to scorne the while and in the end recompence vs with weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth All those that will not bow vnto him with the yron mace in his hand will he breake them to powder and hew in peeces all such as would not haue him to raigne over them Let vs therefore betimes serue the Lord with feare and kisse the sonne least he be angry and we perish from the way when his anger is kindled but a little O how blessed are all they that put their trust in the Lord. And thus much of the second point in quos over whom he hath power The third is A quo whence or from whom he hath his power Not of himselfe but from some other for thou hast giuen saith our Saviour Who is that He to whom he speaketh He speaketh to his Father Father glorifie thy Sonne It is his Father therefore of whom he receaued it and receaued it by gift And indeed the power hee hath quâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is the Word hee hath receaued from his Father and that by gift donatione naturali ab aeterno by naturall donation and from all eternitie For as hee is God of God and light of light so is hee also Lord of Lord the Father being the origen source and fountaine of the Deitie If so then the power he hath qua Emanuel as he is God-man must needs be much more from him I saith God haue set my king vpon my holy hill of Sion And that it is the Father speaking so of his Sonne appeareth when by and by he saith Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee So saith our Saviour also Omnia mihi tradita sunt à Patre all things are deliuered vnto mee of my Father And againe The father loueth the sonne and hath given all things into his hands And S. Iohn Iesus knowing that the father had giuen all things into his hands And finally S. Peter God hath made that same
actions wherein wee are to imitate him I would therefore commend vnto you these three especially His truth his humility his charity He was full of grace and truth he loved it he spake it never was guile found either in his heart or mouth So humble was he that being in the forme of God and thinking it no robberie to be equall with God he made himselfe of no reputation tooke vpon him the shape of a Servant and humbled himselfe vnto the death of the crosse Lastly such was his Charity that hee was content to shed his most pretious blood for vs even when we were his enimies thē which greater loue cannot be This is the patterne this is the precedent which we must follow He chargeth vs to know the truth to loue the truth to speake the truth to keepe the Feast with the vnleavened bread of sincerity and truth He commandeth vs to learne of him that he is meeke and lowly in heart and to walke worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called in all lowlinesse and meekenesse Finally he straitly enioyneth vs to loue one another yea even our very enimies Certainly whosoeuer resembleth not Christ in these things is not Christs disciple All other markes of Christianity deceiue if these faile Seeme we never so desirous of knowledge and make wee never so faire a shew yet if we loue not truth if we be proud arrogant if we be vncharitable censorious of others wee are no true Christians But Christ obeied Passiuely also for he was obedient vnto death even the death of the Crosse. And he suffered for vs leauing vs an example that wee should follow his steps He was crucified so must wee bee crucified to the world He died and we must dye vnto sinne He was buried and wee must still continue dead vnto sin He bore his crosse and wee must take vp our crosse also Of which at large already And thus haue I at length finished all the three counsells of Christ. It remaineth to adde a word or two by way of application and vse Is it so that whosoever will come after Christ that is be his scholler obtaine everlasting life must deny himselfe take vp his crosse daily and follow him O then the difficulty o the paucity the difficulty of christianity and salvation the paucity of good christians and them that shall be saued Is it an easy thing thinke you for a man to deny himselfe that is to pull out the eyes as it were of his owne head and then to giue his hand to another to lead him which way soever he pleaseth to renounce his owne will and to yeeld blind obedience vnto the will and pleasure of another Is it so easy a matter to take vp the crosse daily that is to forsake to abandon to lothe and detest the delights and comforts of this life and whatsoever is dearest vnto vs and in the meane season to be hated contemned and troden vnder foot of all yea in the midst of the cruellest persecutions and torments to reioyce as if we were bathing in the greatest pleasures and to giue thankes as if we had receiued some inestimable benefit Finally is it so easie to follow Christ that is to disclaime our owne lusts and desires and leauing the broad and beaten way which all men almost walke in finding therein great contentment to imitate Christ in a strict and severe course of life so irkesome to the flesh and so odious to the World They are deceiued then who thinke to dance on roses or to be carried to heauē on a featherbed No Christianity is not Libertinisme nor Epicurisme Vta arcta est the way is narrow and Faith the crosse and Strictnesse of life three necessary conditions thereof make it so O the difficulty O the paucity also How few good Christians are there how few are there that shall bee saved Every one would willingly attaine the end everlasting life but they are loath to endure the roughnesse of the way which leads vnto the end They would with Zebedees children sit at the right or at the left hand of Christs throne if his kingdome But to drinke of the same cup that he dranke of and to be baptized with his baptisme that can they not abide If we should as Diogenes is said to haue done search with a candle every corner of Christendome for a man that denies himselfe that takes vp his crosse daily that followes Christ in such sort as wee haue declared questionlesse wee should hardly finde him Such men are nowadaies very thin sowne On the contrarie side those that giue themselues over to their owne lusts that wallow in sensuality and fleshly pleasure that imitate not Christ in sanctity and newnesse of life but the Divill in all kinde of intemperance iniquity impiety these I say abound and swarme every where O the multitude O the Paucitie the multitude of titular Christians who haue the name of what they are not the Paucitie of true Christians who are so indeed not only called so No marvell therefore that our Saviour affirmeth both that the gate is strait and the way narrow and that very few doe finde it But although it be so hard thus to come after Christ yet is it not impossible and although but few doe thus come yet is it not in Christ that more come not but in themselues Let vs therefore in the name of God quicken vp our dull spirits and striue what wee can to overcome all difficulties On our part nothing is required but Willingnesse and Endeavour the rest God of his grace will supply To worke in vs a Willingnesse I suppose it will not be amisse seriously to consider first as touching the Deniall of our selues what we are by nature thence to learne Humilitie that in vs there is no good at all that of our selues we cannot so much as thinke a good thought much lesse performe any action pleasing and acceptable vnto God Our minde is blinde our will is vnable and as our Saviour saith without him we can doe nothing Why should we then proudly vainely stand vpon our selues Nay rather why should we not in all humility vtterly deny our selues Secondly as touching the Crosse and the taking vp of it that although it bee in it selfe bitter and greevous yet the end is sweet and glorious even an incorruptible crowne of glory So we may attaine eternall blessednesse what mattereth it though we passe through rough and tempestuous seas vnto it Were it not far better for vs with Lazarus to suffer affliction for a short season here and after to receaue eternall comfort in heaven then with the rich glutton to enioy the pleasures of this present life and afterward to be everlastingly tormented in hell If we suffer for Christ he will be in the fierie furnace with vs and refresh vs with the sweet comforts of his blessed spirit He hath willingly borne the Crosse for
Ierusalem behold now and knowe and inquire in the open places thereof if yee can finde a man or if there bee any that executeth judgement and seeketh the truth and I will spare it According wherevnto as it is recorded by S. Luke all those that sailed with S. Paul being in number two hundred seaventy and six soules were giuen vnto him that not one of them in that exceeding dangerous tempest lost so much as a haire from his head When Augustus the Emperour had conquered Mark Antonie and taken the Citie of Alexandria and the Citizens looked for nothing but extremitie the Emperour in the hearing of them all freely pardoned them for Arius sake a Philosopher of that Citie one whom he honoured much for his learning and loved for his vertue If the heathen who knowe not God can for one friends sake remit the offences of many shall not God doe much more for their sakes whom he calleth and counteth his friends Certainely hee will Egypt shall fare the better for Ioseph and the very remembrance of Abraham Isaac and Iacob shall moue God to persist in doing good to their rebellious posterity The charity of the Saints towards the wicked is very great and the praiers they make vnto God for them are many and so available are they that by them oftentimes the arme of God is held from striking them oftentimes his hand is opened to blesse them And thus sometimes God prospereth evill men for a few good mens sakes that liue among them Sometimes againe hee dealeth otherwise with these mixt companies and when he punisheth a wicked nation nor will be perswaded to spare them hee preserueth the godly that they tast not of the common calamitie For sometime he preventeth them by death and taketh them into his rest before the misery come Thus all the Fathers died before the floud came vpon the world and good Iosiah according to the prediction of Huldah the prophetesse was gathered to his fathers and laid in his graue in peace that his eyes might not behold all the evill which God resolued to bring vpon his kingdome For as it is in the booke of Wisdome Because the Lord loueth the soule of the righteous therefore he hastneth to take them away from the wicked and the righteous that is dead condemneth the vniust man that is liuing for God will shake his foundations and lay him vtterly wast they shall be in sorrow and their memoriall perish So that as it is a great signe that God intends to continue his mercies to a nation while as good men remaine among them according to that of old Althes in the Poet Non tamen omnino Teucros delâ—re paratis Cum tales animos iuvenum tam certa tulistis Pectora I see God hath not determined vtterly to destroy the Troians seeing such valiant hearts and braue spirits still rise vp among them so is it as great a token of imminent destruction when the good are taken away and as the Psalmist speaketh their signes are no longer to be seene among them Now as sometimes hee preventeth the righteous by death that they partake not in the punishment of the wicked so sometimes hee prolongeth their life to see it but withall sendeth them strange and miraculous deliverance that they feele it not Thus was Noah delivered by an Arke when all the rest of the world were drowned Lot and his family by a gard of Angells when Sodom and the neighbour Citties were consumed Israel by a speciall protection when the Egyptians were many waies plagued Rahab by a cord of red thred when all the rest of the soule in Ierico were put to the sword the Christians by oracle at Pella in the generall vastity and desolation of Iudea So that God knoweth well how to separate betweene the pretious and the vile and in the greatest perplexities if he please can find an issue and enlargement for all such as he loueth Howbeit almighty God doth not alwaies thus deliuer his Saints but sometimes involueth both good and bad in the same calamity And even as the evill because they are mingled with the good partake with them of temporall benefits as the shining of the Sun the showres of raine so the good also because they are mingled with the evill partake with them in temporall afflictions Aliquid mali propter vicinum malum the neighbourhood of evill cannot but worke them some evill Both good and bad are one common flesh common flesh as Cyprian saith is subiect to the same common inconveniences and ever will be vntill corruption be swallowed vp of incorruption Hence is it that in the time of famine or pestilence there is a common mortality in hostile impressions and conquests a common captivity in shipwracke at sea a common drowning If then the Sodomites loose the day and bee made prisoners vnto Chedor-laomer so is Lot also if Nebuchadnezzar King of Babilon lead away the Iewes into captivity Daniel and Ezechiell and the three children are lead away also If Totilas overflow Europe with his barbarous troopes Christians are not freer then Gentiles Behold saith the Lord by the prophet Ezechiell I come against thee and will draw my sword out of his sheath and cut off from thee both the righteous and the wicked Also by Saint Iohn he straitly chargeth his people to depart out of Babylon least they be partakers in her plagues Nay if one Achan only trespasse in the execrable thing hee alone perisheth not but wrath falleth on the whole congregation which the heathen poet also obseruing said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many times a whole citty smarts for the offence of one But this specially if any publike man commit some notorious wickednesse for as when the head akes or is distempered the arme vaine many times is opened so for the offence of Kings and Princes the people oftentimes are punished as appeares in Davids case for whose sinne in numbering the people seaventy thousand of his subiects perished That all these were wicked men and that none of them feared God it is both vnreasonable and vncharitable to imagine and therefore not doubting but that good and bad pell mell were cut off in that pestilence I conclude this point with that aphorisme of the Rabbins When once the sentence of punishment is pronounced and resolued by God and power is given to the destroyer to execute the same he from thence respecteth the person of no man nor putteth difference betweene the iust and the vniust And thus yee see how diversly God dealeth with these mixt societies let vs before we proceed vnto the next point make some vse of what hath beene deliuered First then doe the wicked fare the better for the godly that liue among them and are their prosperities and deliverances to bee imputed vnto them Oh then the extreame folly Oh the monstrous ingratitude of wicked men folly in imputing all the crosses and
blemish and staine vnto their blood So that that which God accounteth the greatest honour is accounted by man a great impeachment of honour and seldome findeth in the minde due estimation As little loue findeth it also in the affection Saint Paul earnestly chargeth all men to loue those men that are set over them in the Lord that is their Ministers yea to bestow vpon them not some small measure but abundance of loue And why for their workes sake saith he as if he had said more fully because by the paines they take for you they deserue much loue so that if you will not amorem impendere freely vouchsafe them your loue yet are you bound amorem rependere to requite their labours with loue Alexander the Great was wont to say hee was more beholding to his Master Aristotle then his Father Philip for that he had his being only from the one and his well-being from the other And surely if wee owe loue vnto our naturall parents as authors of our temporall life how much more is due vnto our spirituall parents who haue begotten vs by the immortall seed of the word vnto a blessed and eternall life Moses blessing Levi calleth him the man of Gods mercies and anciently the Ministers of the Gospell were stiled the beloued of God Doth God set his mercies and his loue vpon them and dares man deny his vnto them What dares not sinfull man doe He denied it There is one Micaiah saith Ahab the sonne of Imlah by whom wee may enquire of the Lord but I hate him for he doth not prophecie good concerning me but evill Our Sauiour Christ in the charge hee giueth his twelue Apostles foretelleth them that they shall be hated of all men for his names sake What he foretold them they by experience found true being euery where persecuted euen to the death The reason because they were the light of the world and the whole world lieth in evill every one that doth evill hateth the light because it discovereth and reproueth his deeds Verit as odium truth begets hatred according to that of St Paul Am I therefore become your enimie because I tell you the truth Vnlesse we soe pillowes vnder mens elbowes wee cannot please them if we please them not neither can wee haue their loue Et hinc illae lachrymae hence the bitter cold that nips vs every where But how little wee are either esteemed or loued will yet more appeare by the outward fruits For as is the internall honour of the minde and affection so is the externall also in Word in Gesture in Deed. Honour in Word is honourable mention whereby wee speake nothing but honour of a man And this also wee iustly chalenge to our selues for it is written Thou shalt not speake evill of the Ruler of thy people True it is Ministers are not Angels but being made of the same mouldes with other men are subiect to the same infirmities Neverthelesse he playes but Chams part that laughs at his fathers nakednesse Shem and Iaphet will not see it but goe backward and couer it The exorbitancies of a Minister saith Constantine the great ought not to be knowne vnto the people hee for his part would rather couer them with his purple robe For as the Councell of Chalcedon saith Delicta Sacerdotum communis est turpitudo the sinnes of the Priests are the common shame of the Church True Charity would couer a multitude of them but to blaze and divulge them is to spread abroad the infamie of our Mother And yet this is the ordinary practise of these daies the Ministrie is the common butt against which they shoot the venomous arrowes of their tongues In all meetings at all tables the Minister vsually is the subiect of their talke and it is couâ—ted among many a speciall mark of true religion zeale with open mouth to publish the faults shall I say of inferiour Ministers Nay of the cheefest fathers of the Church Wherein also like butchers flies they lightly passe ouer the whole and sound places and seize only vpon gals and sores that is if they meete with an infirmitie that they are alwaies buzzing about as for their graces and vertues they are wrapped vp in deep silence Physitians if they doe but one good cure grow famous thereby though they kill twentie besides we how many good things soeuer be in vs yet one leane Cow swallowes vp the seauen fat and the least weaknesse is sufficient to disgrace all Weaknesse say I Nay that which is counted weaknesse in others is traduced as wickednesse in vs our frailties are furies and every mole-hill is made a mountaine So ready are they to speake the worst of vs and so loath to say any thing that may credit our Calling If they will scarce vouchsafe vs a good word is it likely they will afford vs any Reverence in Gesture Yet Obadiah the gouernour of king Ahabs house meeting with the Prophet Eliah fell on his face before him Cornelius the Centurion vpon S. Peters comming to him fell downe at his feet Euen king Saul before him whom he conceaved to be Samuel stooped with his face to the ground bowed himselfe And Alexander the great when hee saw Iaddua the high Priest alighted from his horse and humbled himselfe with much reuerence vnto him But Constantine a greater then he when he entred into the Synode of Nice bowed himselfe very low vnto the Bishops there assembled and sate not downe vntill they desired him Yea the very Gentiles themselues stood in such awe of their Priests that they durst not vtter an obscene word much lesse misbehaue theÌ„selues in their presence What thinke you Shall not these one day rise vp in iudgement against vs Christians to condemne vs For now adaies every petty Gentleman lookes for much duty from vs and takes it indignely if we stand not bare before him worship him with cap and knee If wee expect the like againe forsooth wee are growne too proud it is honour enough for vs if they doe but looke vpon vs. Precedencie is any mans rather then the Ministers euery Mammonist euery younger brother euery vpstart of the first head must haue the place from vs. To the gay cloathing euery one saith Sit here in the best roome but vnto vs Stand thou there or sit here vnder my footstoole Thus children behaue themselues proudly against the ancient and the base against the honourable The last honour we claime is bountifull and liberall maintenance For the labourer is worthy of his hire and the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne must not bee muzled No man warreth at his owne charges and hee that feedeth a flocke liueth by it Even the Egyptians and other Gentiles prouided for their Priests God himselfe appointed Triths vnto Levi the morality of which I dispute not at this time besides Citties
the limitation of this wisdome for it is not boundlesse and infinite but as vnto the sea so vnto it also terms are set which it may not passe Pone modum Prudentiae set a measure to thy wisdome saith Salomon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be not wise aboue that thou oughtest to be wise saith Saint Paul And the Philosopher makes it an extreame of Wisdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be wise aboue measure What then is the measure what is the limit of wisdome Be Serpents saith our Saviour yet Doues be wise yet innocent Be yee wise as Serpents and innocent as Doues Bee innocent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word derived from the privatiue particle ae and the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifying simple without mixture or from the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a horne signifying Harmelesse or Hurtlesse The Syrian translation turnes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfect entire vpright Tota innocentia saith Augustine ad vnum verbum Iustitiae redigitur innocence is nothing else but justice and elsewhere Innocentia est quae nemini nocet nec nocere velit innocence is that which neither doth nor will hurt any Be innocent then and innocent as doues Not as serpents in the winter time which though they sting nor then being benumb'd with cold yet are full of venome but as Doves which are vtterly void of malice and haue no desire to hurt For the nature of the Doue is described in this one Distich Est sine felle gemit rostro non laedit vngues Possidet innocuos puraque grana legit shee is without gall mourneth hurteth not with her bill hath harmelesse clawes and feeds on pure graine So that all these things considered Doue-like innocencie consisteth in these three things first to doe no hurt secondly to doe all good thirdly to doe both with all sincerity To doe no hurt that we be not vitious to doe all good or else we are not vertuous and to season all with sincerity or else it is counterfeit vertue and so double iniquity And these duties are to be performed not only to those that are of the house-hold of faith by reason of that mysticall vnion that is betwixt vs and them in Christ but generally also vnto all men being made of the same moulds and vnited into the brotherhood of the same bloud So then Innocency is vnto Wisdome as Hercules pillars beyond which it may not passe and our Saviour alloweth men to be wise with Innocence and for Innocence but not against it But what if by Innocence I cannot escape the danger must I still persist in mine Innocence If Iobs wife may be judge she will say Doest thou still continue in thine vprightnesse Blaspheame God and dye But Iob telleth her in so saying shee is but a foolish woman For the law of God is eternall immutable inflexible and the breach thereof is sinne and the least sinne is greater then the greatest of other evills as being most repugnant vnto the nature of God and therefore most odious vnto him In regard whereof the true Saints of God would not for a million of liues forgoe their Innocencie David though he had both opportunity and power yet would he not to secure himselfe lay hands on Saul according to the ancient proverbe saith he let wickednesse proceede from the wicked but my hand shall not be vpon him Though he kill me yet will I trust in him saith Iob. If I perish I perish saith Hester when shee was to doe a necessary but dangerous duty Wee are not carefull to answere thee in this matter neither will wee worship thy Idolls say the three children though threatned otherwise to be cast into a fiery furnace And the prince of Conde being commanded of three things to chuse one either perpetuall imprisonment or death or to goe to Masse Masse quoth he I never will the other two I leaue to the Princes pleasure But what speake I of Saints Even heathen men acknowledge that Innocencie is to be held notwithstanding all outward evills It is better saith Socrates to suffer then to doe wrong There are some things saith Aristotle to which a good man must never suffer himselfe to be constrained but rather endure all extremities yea death it selfe Wherevpon Socrates I would rather dye a thousand times then forsake my station And another the veriest coward in the world am I to doe evill and yet another it is not the part of a vertuous man to say this I will not suffer but this I will not doe And Fabritius obtained that honourable testimony of his enimy Pyrrhus that the Sunne would sooner goe out of his course then hee stray out of the way of honesty So that by the testimony both of nature and grace the law of innocencie is no Lesbian rule flexible to all occasions but according to the old saying Fiat justitia ruant caeli justice must be done though vpon doing the same heaven and earth come together If this be so will some men say how then can wee be both wise and innocent at once Very well for as Ambrose saith individuum justitiae prudentiae contubernium wisdome and innocence are inseparable companions For first a man cannot be truly innocent except hee be wise For in all vertuous actions Prudence of necessity must be the director seeing it is the eye of the soule without which nothing can be done cum electione modo vpon choice and in measure Wherevpon saith Aristotle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is impossible to bee good without wisdome Secondly neither can a man bee wise without innocence For although there be a wisdome equivocally so called by reason of the resemblance it hath with the true wisdome being able both to finde out and to menage convenient meanes vnto worldly and evill ends yet this Saint Paul calleth the wisdome of the flesh and Saint Iames an earthly sensuall and divelish wisdome But the true wisdome is from aboue therefore pure peaceable easy to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without judging and without hypocrisie that is in one word innocent Hence is it that the Scripture tearmeth Sinners Fooles because they are not innocent and the feare of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the top of wisdome because it is Innocent Hence also it is that Moses telleth the Israelites their wisdome consisted in obseruing the commandements of God and that David saith by them hee became wiser then his teachers wiser then the ancients And the same David hauing advised Princes and Iudges to bee wise and learned addeth presently kisse the sonne intimating thereby that wisdome cannot be without religious innocence So that as innocence cannot bee without wisdome so neither can a man bee wise without innocence And here in the very light of nature accordeth also with scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle it is impossible for a man to be wise and not good
judgement vpon the Conscience and to be the executioner of his lawes or finally hee bindes the Conscience in vaine and to no purpose To say that man is in such sort Lord of the Conscience is vnreasonable because his knowledge and power reach no farther then the outward man To say that man may command God is sacrilegious aduancing man aboue God Lastly to say that he bindeth in vaine and to no purpose is withall to say that their opinion is vaine and that man hath no such power at all To shut vp all in a word vnlesse a man may with as much security obey man as God man who is subject to error and injustice as God who is free from both vnlesse we be all as deeply bound to study the laws of men and to knowe them as we are Gods and to subject our selues as absolutely vnto them it is altogether vnconceauable how humane lawes can bind the Conscience equally with diuine This point being thus cleared it is euident that by conscience in this place wee are with St Peter to vnderstand Conscientiam Dei conscience towards God and to interpret this of St Paul yee must bee subiect for conscience by that of the same St Peter Submit your selues vnto every ordinance of man for the Lords sake as if he should say because God hath bound you to be subiect For God hath laid this obligation vpon man appeares by the very institution of Magistracie For although St Peter call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a humane creature yet his meaning is not that it is not from man but for man and his benefit otherwise S. Paul expresly affirmeth that it is the ordinance of God and Solomon that by him kings raigne The reason mouing God to institute the same was partly his soueraigne Lordship ouer man by right of creation by which he may order and dispose of him at pleasure partly the great loue he beareth vnto humane society which his infinite wisdome saw could not so well be maintained if euery man should be left to himselfe and orderly gouernment were not setled among them Herevpon hee ordained some to be in authority some to liue in subiection commanding the one to rule according to justice and equitie the other to submit themselues with all lowlinesse and humility as I meane touching subiection hath in the first part which is the Dutie beene sufficiently declared Now man being thus by the commandement and ordinance of God bound Conscience cannot bee free but as man shall either subject or not subject himselfe so is Conscience bound to testifie for or against him and to excuse or to accuse him If then yee breake the commandement of God and refuse to be subject there is one who will surely accuse you and will not spare a witnesse whose testimony is omni exceptio ne majus better then a thousand witnesses that will testifie against you even your Conscience But to whom will it accuse Vnto that great and dreadfull Iudge of the whole world whose wisdome can not be deceaued whose justice cannot be corrupted and the execution of whose sentence cannot be avoided And what will the sentence be Perpetuall imprisonment in the bottomelesse dungeon of hell therein eternall torments both of body and soule which although it be not presently executed vpon you yet the worme of conscience instantly will begin to gnaw vpon your soules fill you so full of vnspeakable horror and anguish that your life shall be but a death and this world a hell vnto you But if on the contrary side yee shall for the Lords sake and in obedience to his ordinance yeeld subjectiō vnto the higher powers and vnder them liue dutifully in all godlinesse and honestie then shall your consciences testifie nothing but good of you and excuse you vnto God he shall justifie and acquit you your soule shall bee replenished with vnspeakable peace and comfort so as yee shal haue a heaven vpon earth and in heauen it selfe in due time such ioyes as nor eye hath seene nor eare heard nor ever entred into the thought of man To conclude and summe vp all if either we will keepe a good conscience that we may both here and ever be blessed or will avoid the sting of an euill conscience and the miseries that attend vpon it wee must of necessity be subject Yee must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience And thus haue I finished the second part also which is the Necesstie of the dutie It only remaineth now to adde a word or two by way of vse and application There is a generation of whom both St Peter and St Iude speake that despiseth all gouernment and speaketh evill of Dignities cleane contrary vnto the doctrine of my Text which commandeth all to be subject and to honour and obey the Magistrate But these are not all of the same kinde for some despise it out of an erronious judgment others out of an euill habit and custome They that despise it vpon errour are either Anabaptists or Papists The Anabaptists a fanatical fantastical sect vtterly mislike all gouernment and subjection among Christians It is not without cause that S. Iude calleth such kind of people Dreamers for so indeed they are and their dreame is this that Sin is the cause of Subjection and although it were ordained and allowed to the Iewes because they were but infants yet fits it not vs Christians that are in the state of perfection Shall I dispute against this dotage and shew that even among those blessed spirits that are free frō sinne still persist in the truth there are Thrones Dominations Powers Principalities Angels and Arch-angels That if man had continued in his integritie yet government should haue beene inasmuch as man naturally is sociable and disciplinable the morall law commands to honour father and mother the end of gouernment is Peace with Pietie and Honestie and one man euen then should haue stood in need of another That finally there is now as great a necessity thereof as was among the Iews and that the new Testament would neuer haue commanded Subjection or to pray for Magistrates if it were a sin for a Christian to be a Magistrate But I will not vouchsafe them the honour to dispute with them let it suffice in this honourable auditory barely to affirme first that a Christian safely may be a Magistrate secondly that none is fitter then he because no man better knowes the dutie of a Magistrate then he Lastly that no man can so compleatly and perfectly performe the office of a Magistrate but hee because no man vnderstands the true religion which he is to maintaine and by which he is to gouerne but he As for Papists although they doe not thus reject all government yet doe they many waies both in doctrine and practise avile and abase it For first they giue vnto the Pope a supremacie ouer Princes euen vnto Deposition and depresse