IT is obseru'd by the fa­thers that the creation of the World was not performed vvith such labour & difficultie as the redemption of it.

In the creation God vsed his word on­ly; for, dixit & facta sunt, hee spake the [Page 2]word and they were made: Psal. 33.9 Psalm. 33.9. But in the redemption of it, Christ vsed both words and deeds too: Bern. incant. ser. 20 for multa dix­it, multa fecit, & multa pertulit (sayth S. Bernard; hee spake many things, hee did manie things, and hee suffered manie things. Which was the cause that in per­forming the office of his mediation, hee did not onely preach the word, but also wrought many workes and wonders with it, ioyning vnto his sayings, his doings, to his words, his deeds, and to his doctrine, his works, & miracles which he wrought. And this not without most wise and iust consideration. Partly [...] winne credite & authoritie vnto his preaching, and to con­firme his doctrine by signes and wonders that followed after: Mark 16.20 that as his doctrine was supernaturall farre aboue the appre­hension of reason; so the confirmation thereof might bee supernaturall farre a­boue the order and course of nature. Cant. 2.12 It is the song of the Church in the booke of the Canticles, The flowers appeare in the earth, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our land: that is sayth Bernard the truth [Page 3]is founde by hearing and by seeing; the voice being heard and the flowers beeing seene. Rom. 10.17 Et visu veri­tas cōperta & auditu. Et­si fides ex au­ditu, ex vis [...] confirmatio est. Audita visa confir­mant. Bern. in Cant. ser. 59. Mat. 3.16 For though faith commeth by hea­ring (as the Apostle sayth) yet notwith­standing the confirmation of it is by see­ing, according to that which Christ saith, Go shewe Iohn what things yee haue heard & seene; the things which we heare being confirmed by those things which we see. Therfore is Christ not onely testified by a voice, but also demonstrated by a Doue, and is preached not onely by an audible, but by a visible word; to shew that both a voice and a signe doe concur in the assu­rance of faith. Whereupon, he conclu­deth concerning the effectuall power of Christs preaching and his working of miracles together, Intonat tuba salutaris, Bern. ibid. [...]oruscant miracula & mundus credit: the [...]rumpet of Gods word thundred, his mi­ [...]acles & wonders lightned, and the whole world was thereby conuerted, and belee­ [...]ed. Partly it was to conuince his aduer­ [...]a [...]ies, and to stop the mouthes of those [...]alitious Iewes who were ready to de­ [...]raue, and to cauill with him.

[Page 4]For though his doctrine was most hea­uenly, hauing the wordes of eternall life with him, Ioh. 6.68 Ioh. 6.68. Though his speech was most gratious hauing his lips full of grace. Psal. 45.2 Psal. 45.2. Though his words were most powerfull, speaking as one hauing authoritie, Mat. 7.29 Mat. 7.29. In a word, though he excelled all that did euer speak (neuer any man spake like this man; sayd the offi­cers that were sent to take him. Ioh. 7.46 Ioh. 7.46) Yet notwithstanding the Priests and the Pharisies, with the rest of the people be­ing malitiously bent against him, how were they ready to backe-bite, to ca­lumniate and to quarrell with him. Here are many goodly words, were they ready to say, but we can see no deeds of his, it is an easie matter to say well, but we would faine see what great matter hee is able to do; therefore our Sauiour Christ to shew that he was not only verball but reall, and that he was not only mighty in word, Act. 7.12 but mightie in deed, with his sayings he ioy­neth his dooings, with his words he ioy­neth his deeds, and with the preaching of the word, the working of miracles too: so [Page 5]as if he preacheth in the mountaine hee doth miracles in the vallie, if hee sayth in the mountaine, Beati mundo corde, Mat. 5.2 Bles­sed are the cleane and pure in heart, hee sayth really in the vallie Volo, mundare, I will, be thou cleane, as hee doth to the Leper heere.

In the discourse and handling whereof wee obserue. 1. The Leper comming to Christ and putting vp a petition vnto him to heale him of his seprosie (and lo there came a Leper & worshipped him saying, Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean.) 2. Our Sauiour Christ gran­ting his petition and healing his leprosie (Iesus stretching forth his hand touched him saying, I will bee thou cleane). 3. The cure it selfe insuing & folowing pre­sently vpon it (and immediately his lepro­sie was cleansed.) 4. The charge or com­maund that Christ giueth him after the cure 1. To tell it to no man (see thou tell no man.) 2. To shewe himselfe vnto the Priest (but go and shew thy selfe vnto the Priest) 3. To offer his gifte according to to the lawe of Moses and offer thy gifte as [Page 6]MOSES commaunded for a witnesse to them

Concerning the Leper that maketh suite vnto Christ, Luke 5.12 S. Luke reporting this history, saith that he was no ordinary Le­per, but a man ful of leprosie; of the nature quality, signes, symptoms, and effects of which disease I holde it needelesse to dis­course out of the art and rules of physick, being so copiously described in the holie Scriptures, as you may reade in the thir­teen and foureteen Chapters of Leuiticus, Le. 13. & 14 and in diuers other places; onely I note two things that are especially obser­ued of it, the one that it was contagious and infectious: the other that it was des­perate and almost incurable. So conta­gious it was, Leuit. 13.46 that God prouided in the lawe of Moses, that such persons as were infected herewith, should liue apart from the society and companie of others, and shoulde vveare a couering vppon their lips; and as anie passed by to giue war­ning vnto them by crying; I am vnclean, I am vncleane: and all to this end, that o­thers might not be infected by them, in­somuch [Page 7]that euen Vzziah the King him­selfe, being smittten with the leprosie for medling presumptuously with the Priests office, 2. Chrō. 26 21 liued as a Leper in a house apart by himself, all the dayes of his life. 2. Chro. 26.21. And so hard and difficult was the cure, that when the king of Syria sent Na­aman the Leper to the king of Israell to bee healed of him: 2. King. 5.7 See (sayth the king of Israell) how he seeks a quarrell against mee: am I God to giue life? signifying that it was not in the art and cunning of man, but onelie in the power of God to heale this disease. So that the disease beeing so contagious, and so incurable, the healing of it cannot but bee admirable, vvorthie of an Ecce, Beholde, and deseruing most diligent heede and atten­tion vnto it. Yea not onely the cure, but euerie circumstance in it, is re­markeable, and worthy of obseruation, both in the Leper and in CHRIST, and in the vvhole course and proceeding of it.

To begin first with the Leper, who is the Petitioner, our Euangelist here sayth [Page 8]that he came vnto Christ, which was very strange, for in regard of the law he ought not to haue come, & in regard of his sick­nes he was not well able to come, Non ad Chri­stum ambulan­do currimus sed credendo, nec motu corporis sed voluntate cordis accedi­mut. Aug. in Ioh. tract. 26. and yet for all this, venit he comes vnto Christ, but how? non tam passibus corporis quàm fide cordis, sayth S. Austen, not so much with the feet of his body, as with the faith of his hart, for had his heart bin no better then his legges, and his fayth no better then his feet, he would neuer haue trobled himself to come vnto Christ as he did.

But did the Leper this, thinke you, in regard of himselfe only? No verily; but in regarde of vs also, to teach vs whenso­euer wee put vp our petitions and praie vnto Christ, Heb. 10.22 to come and drawe neere vnto him with a true heart in assurance of faith. For as we must first of all haue the spirit of grace to stirre vs vp to pray. Zach. 12.10 Zac [...] 12.10. So next wee must haue the spirit of faith. 2. Cor. 4.13 2. Cor. 4.13. to assure vs that God will grant and giue vs those things for which we pray. Irrisio dei est si quid illum ores quod exoratu­rum te non cer­toco [...]fidas. Pellic. in Mat. Otherwise it is but a mocking of God, to pray for that, which we doe not looke nor hope to obtaine o [...] [Page 9]God. Therefore S. Iames would haue vs whensoeuer we pray, to praie in faith, and not to wauer, for he that wauereth is like a waue of the sea, and is not like to re­ceiue any thing at the hands of GOD. Which agreeth with the aduise that our Sauiour Christ giueth vnto vs: Mar. 11.24 Mar. 11.24. Whatsoeuer ye desire when ye pray, be­leeue that ye shall haue it,Bern. in Quad. serm. 4and it shall bee done vnto you. For as Bernard sayes, that prayer which is full of distrust and diffi­dence, measuring Gods power & good­nesse, either by the shallownesse of our capacitie, or by the greatnesse of our own vnworthinesse, is not able to ascende and to flie vp vnto those hils from whence our helpe commeth. For as a colde or luke­warme prayer faileth and vanisheth in the ascent, because it hath not strength and vigour in it: and as a rash prayer dooth as­cend but yet is driuen backe againe, be­ing altogether vnworthie to come into Gods presence; so a timorous and a diffi­dent prayer dooth not ascend at all, nor come vp into heauen as the prayers and almes of Cornelius did Act. 10. being so [Page 10]restrained and helde back with feare and diffidence, that it can neuer come neere the throne of grace to receiue mercy, Heb. 4.16and to finde grace at the hands of God. In which regard, wee reade that when the man in the Gospell came vnto Christ to make entreaty for his sonne that was pos­sessed with a diuell, Mar. 9.22 telling him in what sort he was taken, and desiring him after a doubtfull manner to put to his hand, and to helpe him if hee coulde, saying, Si quid potes, adiuva nos, if thou canst do anie thing helpe vs, and haue compassi­on; insteade of helping him he returnes him an aunswere much like vnto his de­maund: Mar. 9.23 Si potes credere, omnia possibi­lia sunt, if thou canst beleeeue all things are possible; signifying, that the way to finde helpe vvas not to doubt ey­ther of his goodnesse, or of his povv­er, but vndoubtedly to beleeue that hee is both able and ready also for to helpe vs.

Therefore, in that holy prayer which he hath commended vnto vs, Mat. 6; Hee doth teach vs in the beginning of it to cal [Page 11]God our Father, that wee should haue a certaine confidence of obtaining that which wee desire (for what will not a Father giue vnto his Sonnes praying vn­to him, vvho hath giuen a farre greater gifte before they praie, in vouchsa­fing to make them his Sonnes?) and in the ende thereof hee hath taught vs to saie Amen, Amen in o­ratione do­minica signi­ficat indubi­tanter a do­mino confer­ri quod peti­tur. Aug. de Temp. ser. 182 to testifie our faith that wee doe assuredlie beleeue to obtaine our desires and to haue our requestes graunted vnto vs; for Amen in the Lords prayer, as Saint Austen sayth, sig­nifieth that GOD dooth vndoubtedly bestowe and conferre that which wee desire of him.

But doth this Leper onely come vnto Christ? no, but he worships him too. Ve­nit & adorauit eum, he came & worship­ped him. Like vnto those wise men, sayth Origen that came out of the east. Mat. 2.11. who first fel down & worshipped Christ, and afterwards presented their giftes vn­to him. Concerning which vvorshippe and reuerence, the other Euangelists ma­king relation do report it somwhat other­wise. [Page 12]S. Marke. 1.40 Marke cap. 1. ver. 40. sayth that hee besought him, kneeling downe vn­to him. Luke, 5.12 S. Luke cap. 5. ve. 12. saith that he fell vpon his face and besought him. Saint Mathew saith heere that hee came and worshipped him, all which together doe shew his wonderfull reuerence and humility in presenting himselfe in such submisse and lowely manner vnto him. Whose religious & modest behauiour is as it were a lecture of the like reuerence and humilitie vnto vs, to teach vs when we present our selues and our prayers vn­to God to adore and to worshippe him, not only with an inward but also with an outwarde worship, in prostrating our selues, and in kneeling and falling down before him. 1. Cor. 6.20 For, seeing God hath crea­ted our soules and our bodies: therefore we are to worship and to glorifie him, not only inwardly with the one, but al­so outwardly with the other. A duty v­sually practised by holy & deuout Chri­stians in former times, til some fanaticall spirits of late pretending God to be a spi­rit and the seruice of God meerely spi­rituall, [Page 13]& deeming themselues also to bee wholly in the spirit and not in the flesh, haue heereby made a very Anatomie or Sceleton of the seruice of God, voide of all external rites and ceremonies, and of all outward worship and reuerence, not­withstanding they bee a singular meanes both to excite and stirre vp pietie and de­uotion in vs, as also to testifie our inwarde reuerence and obedience vnto God; so as religion and the seruice of God, which was wont to bee faire and beautifull, and in good liking, may now complaine as he doth in the comedie, Plaut. in Au­lular. Pellis & ossa sum miser, that she is leane and withered, and nothing but skinne and bones, being vt­terly wasted and consumed.

I say, a dutie commonly practised in the Church in former ages, as may ap­peare by Dauids liturgie. Psal. 95.3. Psal. 95.3 In which hee inuiteth the people to the ser­uice of God after this manner. O come let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our Maker: Which our Church also vppon good ground hath receiued into her liturgie, prescribing vs [Page 14]not onely to lift vp our hearts vnto God, but also to kneele and fal downe vpon our knees before his foorstoole. Yea I ad fur­ther, a duty not only practised by the pro­phets, and the Apostles and other holy men, who beeing, but poore and meane persons in the eyes of the World, maie perhaps bee thought to haue done it out of a kinde of pusillanimity, and want of a generous spirit; but also by Kings, and Princes, and great Monarches of the World, Num. 16.22 2. Sā. 12.16 2. Chron. 6 13 viz. by Moses and Aaron, by Dauid and Solomon, and by our bles­sed Sauiour Christ himselfe, whose man­ner was to fall downe and to kneele, and to stretch forth, Luke 22 Prostratus in terra or at medicus & non inclina­tur aegrotus? and to lift vp their hands when they prayed vnto God; that men of lower ranke, and condition should not disdayne, nor thinke much to doe the like, hauing such presidents, and bee­ing compassed vvith a cloude of such vvorthie Witnesses. Heb. 12.1 It is worthie our obseruation, and verie agreeable to this purpose, which is recorded of the Emperour CONSTANTINE, of whom EVSEBIVS reporteth that it was his [Page 15]common custome euerie daye to shut vp himselfe close into some secret place of his Palace, Euseb. in vi­ta Constant. lib. 4. cap. 14 16 vvhere hee vsed to haue both his Soliloquia, or priuate con­ferences vvith God, and also to praie deuoutely vppon his knees, with a sub­misse and an humble voyce vnto God; which reuerence and humilitie in pray­er, he did so approoue both in himselfe, and in others, that in the coyne which passed through all the parts of his em­pire, hee caused his image or picture to be grauen & stamped vpon it after the fashion of an humble and deuout suppli­ant looking vp to heauen & lifting vp his hands to God. The which is so far from the vnreuerent & immodest, or rather ir­religious and profane behauiour of di­uers who presume to couer their heades euen in the celebration of the seruice of God, and to sit both when they offer vp their prayers, and receiue the holie and blessed Sacrament; that I cannot but greatly woonder, that those men that do thus carry themselues, eyther vnder a [Page 16]pretence of Christian liberty, or else to a­uoide popish superstition and idolatry, whose fashiō was (as they say) to creep & crouch when they prayed, and to adore the sacrament by kneeling vnto it, when they receiued it, doe themselues incurre heereby, though not popish idolatrie & superstition, yet notwithstanding that which is not much better then it, heathe­nish impiety & profanenes: whose fashi­on was as Tertullian sayes adorari sigilla­ria sua residendo, Tertul. de orat. cap. 13. to worship their gods & their idolls sitting, which had they beene truely wise saith hee, they would neuer haue done, had it beene but to shew du­tie and reuerence vnto their gods. For if we account it an vnciuill and an vnseem­ly thing to sit in the presence of a man of honor whom we greatly reuerence; how much irreligiō is it saith the same father, to sit when wee offer vp our prayers and thanksgiuing vnto God in the sight and presence of the glorious Angels, Quantò magù Angelo adhue orationis astā ­te factum istud irreligiosissimū est? Tertull. [...]id. which stand about vs, ready to present our pray­ers and deuotions vnto God? vnlesse per­haps we haue a meaning to vpbraid God [Page 17]with our seruice, as if prayer were a verie troublesome thing, that did greatlie tire and weary vs, and therefore wee are glad to sit and to ease our selues when we pray vnto him. Farre bee from Christians, such heathenish and irreligious behaui­our, knowing that the more reuerence and humility we vse in praying vnto God, the more wee doe commend our prayers vnto him.

Thus you see how the Leper prepa­reth himselfe: now hee putteth vp his pe­tition vnto CHRIST, before which hee putteth a title of honour, stiling him with the name of a Lord. Domine si vis, po­tes mundare me, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me cleane. Which is not a word of complement, and of ciuill worship onely, as when OEADIAH saide to ELIAS, Art thou my Lord ELIAH? 1. Kings. 18 but a vvord of soueraine and diuine po­vver, vvhereby hee ascribeth an abso­lute povver and authoritie, vnto him, acknowledging him to bee Lord God almightie, Creatour, and Ruler of the whole world. Which if any shall seeme [Page 18]to make doubt of, let him but consider the words following, and it wil more then manifestly appeare. For, in making his power equall vnto his will, as he doth in saying, If thou wilt thou canst; herein he doth acknowledge an omnipotent and a diuine power, which belōgeth vnto God only. For, who is there in the World that is able to doe all that hee will, but God onely?

There are many men that would glad­ly doe many things that they are not able to do. As for example, some men haue a will and a desire to doe hurt; but they haue no power to doe it, because there is no power but of God. Rom. 13.2Rom. 13.2. And therefore when Pilate sayde vnto Christ, haue not I power to crucifie or to loose thee, he answered him, Thou couldest haue no power against me, Ioh. 19.10vnlesse it were giuen thee from aboue. Ioh. 19.10. On the o­ther side, some men haue a will and a de­sire to doe good, but they haue no power to performe it, because the spirit is wil­ling but the flesh is weake.Mat. 26.41Mat. 26.41. And therefore, Saint Paul sayth, To will, [Page 19]is present with me, but I finde no meanes to perform that which is good. Rom. 7.18. Rom. 7.1 [...] But as for Christ hee is able to doe all that he will; as the Leper here confesseth him: Si vis potes, If thou wilt thou canst; and therfore in acknowledging this, hee doth acknowledge him to be God, because this is a property belonging to God onely: as the Psalmist sayth, God is in heauen and doth whatsoeuer he will. Psalm. 115.3. Psal. 115.3 If you desire to see the truth hereof, do but consider a little the works that he did, and you shall manifestly perceiue that to bee true which hee sayth of himselfe. Ioh. 10. Ioh. 10.25 Opera quaefacio, ipsa testimonium perhi­bent de me, The workes which I doe, they beare witnesse of me. For he that is able to doe so great workes as these, viz. to giue sight to the blinde, to giue hearing to the deafe, to giue strength to the lame, to heale the sicke, to raise the dead, to cast out diuels, and many more like vnto these, doth plainely shew that he hath an omni­potent and a diuine power, equall vnto his will, being able to doe whatsoeuer hee will doe. I doe not denie but that Christ [Page 20]is able to do by his absolute power, many things that he will not doe: Matt. 4.3 as hee is able to make stones to become bread, he is able of the stones to rayse vp children vnto A­braham, Mat. 3.9 hee is able to make a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle, Mat. 19 hee is a­ble to commaund twelue legions of An­gells to assist him; Mat. 26 and many other things he is able to doe which he will not doe: but then by his actuall power, [...]en­dei absoluta. [...]en­dei actualis, seu [...]en­dei ordinaria which the Schoolemen call, his ordinarie power, whatsoeuer he will doe, he is able to doe, which is a power farre aboue the power of any creatnre; and therefore this fulnesse of power being in Christ, not by any de­legate power, communicated and recei­ued from an other, as the Apostles was wherewith they did miracles, but by an absolute power subsisting in his owne na­ture, and hauing originall, and begin­ning from himselfe, heerein maugre the malice of all Iewes, Turkes, Pagans, and Heretickes, both the Leper and all of vs that are Christians, doe acknowledge and professe, that he is not onely a man, but GOD and man in one person, be­gotten [Page 21]of the substance of his Father, from all eternitie, and equall vnto him in all power and glorie. Which, if anie shall presume to call into question in re­garde of his poore and base estate here in this World, making himselfe of no reputation, and taking vpon him the forme of a seruaunt, and beeing found in the shape of a man (as the Apo­stell sayth) Philippians, 2. Chapter 7. Phil. 2.7 Verse; Let him knowe for a suretie that hee did not so take vpon him the nature of man, that therewith hee did lose the nature, of GOD; but as NAZIAN­ZENE, and AVSTEN do most truely af­firme, permansit quod erat, Nazianzen. orat. 3 de Theolog.& assumpsit quod non erat, he did so assume that which he was not before, namely man, that hee remained that which hee was before, namely God. The which GREGORIE NAZIANZENE, doth most excellently demonstrate and set out in one of his O­rations, shewing how the conditions and properties of both his natures concur­red together in him, through the course of his whole life. Hee is borne of his [Page 22]mother and wrapped in swadling cloutes (sayth hēe) as beeing a man; Luke 2.7 but a starre dooth manifest him, Matt. 2 and the Wise-men adore him, as being God. He is bap tised of Iohn the Baptist in the riuer Iordan as being a man: Mat. 3.16 but the holy Ghost descends vpon him; and the Father giueth a testi­monie of him as being God. Mar. 1.12 He is temp­ted of the diuel, and liueth among the wild beasts, as he is man: but he ouercommeth the diuel, Mat. 4 and the Angels do serue and mi­nister vnto him, Ioh. 4 as he is God. He trauails and is wearie, hee is hungry and thirstie, as he is man: but he refresheth the weary, and feedeth the hungrie, Ioh. 7 and giues drinke to the thirstie, as he is God. Hee sleepes in the ship, Mat. 8 and his Disciples awake him, as he is man: but hee rebukes the windes, and stilleth the raging sea, as hee is God. He is poor and needy, Mat. 9 and hath not a house to put his head in, as he is man: but hee is rich and mighty, and hath all the world at command as he is God. He is sorrowfull and heauie, Mat. 26 and hee weepes and prayes as he is man: but hee heareth our prayers, and comforteth vs by his spirit, Ioh. 14. as hee is [Page 23]God. He is subiect to infirmities, Esay 53 and is smitten and wounded as he is man; but, he helpeth our infirmities and healeth our sicknesse as he is God. Mat. 26 Mat. 27. He is mocked and whipped, he is reuiled and buffeted, con­demned and crucified, as he is man; but he makes the valle of the I emple to rent, and the graues to open, and the sunne to hide his face thereat, as hee is God. Hee dyeth and is buried, Ioh, 19. and lyeth in his graue as he is man: but he ouercommeth Death, and destroieth the Diuell, & raiseth him­selfe vnto life againe, as he is God. Mat. 28 Being risen he appeares vnto his Disciples, Luke 24 and dooth eate and drinke with them as he is man: but afterward he ascendeth into hea­uen, Acts 1 and sitteth at the right hand of his Father as hee is God. All which, with much more besides, doth euidently shew that he is not an earthly Lord holding his dominion and Lordship of some other greater then himselfe; but a heauenlie Lord, or a Lord in Capite (as the Lawe­yers speake, not depending vpon anie o­ther, but absolute in himselfe, beeing the very selfe same Lord, who is called, Rex [Page 24]regum,Psal. 50.1& Dominus dominantium, the King of kings; and the Lord of lords: In which sense the Leper also stileth him here vvith the name and honor of a Lord, saying; Domine si vis potes mundare me, Lord if thou wilt thou canst make mee cleane.

The waie being thus made, the petiti­on it selfe now followeth: the forme and manner wherof is in this wise, Si vis potes mundare me, if thou wilt, thou canst make mee cleane. VVee reade of di­uers Suters that haue come vnto Christ, but not all after one and the selfe same fashion. Some make their petitions plainely, and directly, as the Woman of Canaan: Mat. 15.22 Mathewe 15.22. Haue mercie on mee, O Lord, my Daughter is greeuously vexed with a Diuell; and as the blinde man, Luke 18. IESVS the son of Dauid haue mercie on mee. Luke 18.39 Some more closelie and couertlie, as the Sisters of Lazarus that sayde vnto Christ, Quem am as infirmatur, Hee whom thou louest is sicke. Ioh. 11.3 Iohn 11.3. and the Mo­ther of our Sauiour CHRRIST saying, [Page 25]vnto him. Iohn, 2. Vinum non habent, Ioh. 2.3they haue no Wine. Which was a close and a modest kinde of asking; to which wee may adde the Leper, saying, vnto Christ heere: Si vis potes mundare me, if thou wilt thou canst make mee cleane, which is a couert and an indirect kinde of begging too. And therefore though our Euangelist heere sayth nothing ex­preslie of his asking, and the wordes make no great semblance of a petition, yet Saint MARKE, and Saint LVKE, Marke 1 Luke 5 both say that hee came and besought him, saying, Si vis, potes mundare me, if thou wilt thou canst make mee cleane.

The forme and manner of which Pe­tition, if anie shall suppose to sauour stronglie of distrust, and diffidence of Christs willingnesse and goodnesse to­wardes him, because hee sayes, Si vis, De voluntate Domini non dubitauit quasi pietatis incredulus, sed quasi col­luvionis sua conscius non praesumpsit. Amb. in Luo.if thou wilt, which words carry som sem­blance of doubt and diffidence: Saint AMBROSE shall aunswere for him, that hee did not doubt of Christs will and of his goodnesse out of anie distrust, [Page 26]or infidelitie: but hee would not presume too much vpon it in regarde of his owne vnworthinesse; Non de vo­luntate Chri­sti ad omne bonum para­ta dubitat, sed de iudicio voluntatis [...]ius. Chrys. in Mat. or as Chrysostome sayes, he did not doubt of Christs will which is ready to do good; but of his owne iudge­ment concerning his will, whether that was good: so as he did not doubt whether Christ would doe all that was good, for him; but rather whether that was good that he would haue Christ to doe for him. And therefore hee prayes after a modest manner, acknowledging both Christs power, and his goodnesse also; but yet submitting himselfe vnto it, as knowing best how to iudge and to dispose of it, in saying, Si vis potes, if thou vvilt, thou canst.

The subiect and matter of whose peti­tion is, to be healed of his leprosie; which some perhaps will censure to be very pre­posterous, in seeking and desiring the health of his bodie, before the health of his soule: like vnto diuers men who falling sicke, will first send for the Physition, and being past recouerie will then send for the Preacher; which course I confesse not on­ly [Page 27]to be preposterous, but to be irreligi­ous too But it is very credible that Christ hauing healed the Leper before in his soule; Mosest diui­nae virtutis prius meder [...] cordi quam corpori. Sanat prius quod potius. Ber. in par. serm. 66 Mat. 9 Mat. 5 whose manner and custome was (as Bernard sayes) first to heale the soule before hee heales the bodie, healing that first which is best (as may appeare both by the man that was sicke of the palsie. Mat. 9. and by the woman that was disea­sed with an issue of bloud. Marke, 5. and by the Leper also here in this place, who worshipped and confessed Christ to bee God before he healed the leprosie of his body) that he comes now in the strength of his faith, and desireth to bee healed in his body also; it being a thing not vnlaw­ful to pray for the health of the one, as wel as for the health of the other. For, though we ought first and principally to pray for spirituall and heauenly things, as our Sa­uiour Christ vvilleth vs first to seeke the kingdome of heauen, Mat. 7 Thom. 2.2. quaest. 83. art. 4. and the righteous­nesse thereof: yet secondarily, wee praye also for corporall and temporall things, as certaine helpes and meanes to attaine vnto better things. And therefore our [Page 28]Sauiour in that holy praier which he hath taught vs, after 3. petitions for spirituall graces, hee addeth one for temporall blessings, to shewe that in a decent or­der, Debemus ista ae deo petere sed secun­do & tertio leco; vt pri­mas partes o­rationis no­strae animae aemor & de­fideriū vitae eternae obti­ueat. Aug. de Temp. ser 60. and in their dew place, wee may praie for the one, as well as for the o­ther.

Onely this wee are to bee carefull of, that we be not too forward nor too gree­die in praying for them, but to pray with sobrietie and moderation, and with sub­mission to the will of God, as the Leper doth here: Si vis potes, if thou wilt thou canst. As if hee should say, Lord, I doe not doubt but thou art able to heale mee; heale me I beseech thee if it bee thy will, and if thou seest it to bee good for mee. VVhich is the true difference wee are to make in praying for spirituall and tempo­rall blessings; for the one wee may pray absolutely if wee will, for the other we are to pray conditionally and with submissi­on to the will of God as the Leper doth; Lord if thou wilt thou canst make mee cleane. It is not to bee doubted but that the Leper, had hee prayed for the health [Page 29]of his soule, as he doth for the health of his body, desiring remission of his sins, iustifi­cation by faith, reconciliation with God, his grace here in this life, and glory and blessednesse in the life to come, all which are spirituall blessings and cannot choose but be alwaies good for vs, then he needed not to haue prayed eyther couertly or cō ­ditionally, Si vis potes, if thou wilt thou canst, but he might haue prayed both di­rectly & absolutely with the Prophet Da­uid Sana animā meam Domine, heale my soule, O Lord, Psal. 41.4. But because he praies for the health of his body which is a temporall benefit, & such an one as God in his wisdome many times doth see not to be good for vs, (for manie men are better in sicknesse then they are in health) there­fore hee prayes conditionally and with submission to the will of God. Domine si vis, potes mundare me, Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make mee cleane. To teach vs also no doubt how to stand affected in praying for these outwarde and tempo­rall blessings, whether it bee health, wealth, peace, plenty, liberty, and deliue­rance [Page 30]from dangers and calamities, as the sword, the famine, the pestilence, to which wee are and haue beene a long time sub­iect (the Lord giue vs grace to turne vn­to him, that so hee may turne away both these & all other his iudgements from vs) viz to bee affected and like minded a [...] Dauid was, 2. Sam. 15.25 when hee was in danger and fled from his sonne Absolon that rebelled against him, to say with him, If I shall finde fauour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me againe: if not, heere I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies; so likewise if we shall find fauour in the eyes of the Lord, or if he sees it to be a fauour to giue it vnto vs (for some things God doth giue vs in his great displeasure, Quaedam De­us negat pro­pitius, que­dam concedit iratus Aug. Multis pro­pitius Deus non tribuit quod volunt vt quod vtile est tribuat. Aug. de vnit. Eccle. and some things he doth denie vs in his great loue and mercy, denying to many that which they desire, that he may giue them that which is good for them.) I say if God sees it to be a fauour indeede to giue these things vnto vs, hee will giue vs health, wealth, peace, plentie, liberty, prosperity, and will preserue & deliuer vs both from the famine and the pestilence, which doe [Page 31]lie now at our gates as Hanniball some­times did at the gates of Rome, threat­ning calamitie and destruction vnto vs; if not, let him do to vs as seemeth good in his eies: here we are, readie to obey his will, eyther by doing or suffering of it.

This ought to be the affection of eue­ry good Christian touching these out­ward and temporall things, to pray with moderation and submission vnto the will of God, according to the direction that S. Bernard giueth, Temporalia si defuerint, Bern. de 4. modis orandi.petenda quidem sunt, sed non sunt nimi­um requirenda: if we want tēporall things necessarie for this life, it is not vnlawfull to pray for them: but wee may not praie too carefully, nor too earnestly for them; not onely by the example of this Leper, but also by an example without all excep­tion euen of Christ himself: who praying for outward deliuerance, which was a tē ­poral benefit, prayes both with condition and submission too, Mat. 26.39 Father if it be possi­ble let this cup pass away from me; yet not my will but thy will be done. Which was the cause that mooued the Leper to pray [Page 32]so closely and so submissiuely as he doth, acknowledging Christs power, but sub­mitting himselfe vnto his will, in saving, Si vis potes mundare me, if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane.

Which petition like vnto those Che­rubins which looked towarde the Mercy­seate, Exod. 37.9. Exod. 37.9. seemeth to haue an eye vnto two things in Christ; vnto his wil and vnto his power: to his will, in say­ing, Si vis, if thou vvilt: to his power in saying potes mundare me, thou canst make me cleane: in the one insinuating and ac­knowledging that both his cleansing and all things else, doe proceed from his will, as the first and chiefe cause of all, and therefore hee sayth first, Si vis, if thou wilt: In the other signifying plainely that his power is omnipotent, able to doe whatsoeuer hee will, and therefore vpon the graunt of his will hee inferreth his power: Si vis, potes, if thou wilt, thou canst.

For the first, Voluntas dei omnium quae sunt ipsa est causa. Aug. viz. that the will of God is the first and principall efficient cause of all those workes which God doth [Page 33]externally out of himselfe as the Schoole­ [...]en speake, Voluntatis dei quae om­nium causa, nulla causa. Hugo de S. Vict. so as there is no superior nor [...]recedent cause mouing the same, it doth [...]uidently and manifestly appeare by the [...]ternitie and omnipotencie of Gods wil. For seeing that nothing is before the will of GOD as beeing eternall, and nothing greater then it as beeing omnipotent, Aug. lib. 1. contra Man. cap. 2. & lib. 83. quaest. Quaest. 28 as Saint AVSTEN sayes; hence it followeth necessarily that there can be no cause ey­ [...]her of it or before it; but this is as it were the cause of all causes, and the first moouer of euery thing. Voluntas Dei est causa causarum & extra vel vl­tra illam, ratio non qua renda, immò vltrà nihil est The truth wherof will more cleerely appeare vnto our sen­ses by a particular view and consideration of the workes of God; of all which you shall finde no cause to bee aboue, or be­fore the will of God, but contrariwise this to be both the prime and principall cause of all. Quare hos e­ligat in glori­am & illos reprobauit, nō habet ratio­nem nisi diui­nam volun­tatem. Thom. sum. par. 2. q. 23. To begin with one of the greatest of Gods vvorkes vvhich is his eternall de­cree of predestination: what is the cause that God doth elect & choose som, in ma­king them vessels of mercy to manifest his goodnes & bounty in thē, contrarily that [Page 34]he doth reiect & refuse others, Rom. 9.22 in making them vessells of wrath to shew his iustice and his power in them, Diuersitas seruandorum a damnandis, prouenit a principali in­tentione pri­mi agentis. Thom. ibid. but onely the will and pleasure of God, as the first immedi­ate cause of it: whereof if there be any o­ther causes, they are all in relation vnto it, and haue a certaine kinde of dependency vpon it, as vpon the first and principall cause of all. Let the case be if you please of Peter and Iudas: I demaund what the cause was that God had mercie vpon Pe­ter in sauing him, and not vpon Iudas in damning him? will you say because Pe­ter repented and Iudas despayred? It is true indeede this was a secondarie and a mediate cause: but I demaund then a­gaine, why did Peter repent, and Iudas despaire? but because it pleased God to giue repentance to the one, and woulde not giue it vnto the other; in regarde hee had in his eternall decree elected the one, and reiected the other. For, if God would haue giuen repentance and faith to Iudas as well as he did to Peter, Iudas had been saued as well as Peter; and therefore the [Page 35]will of God was the first & maine cause of the saluatiō of the one & reprobatiō of the other, according to the conclusiō which the Apostle maketh, Rom. 9.18. Rom. 9.18 God will haue mercie on whom hee will haue mercie and whom he will he hard­neth. Come to an other case of Gods gifts and of his blessings, as well spiri­tual as temporal; which as we all know, he bestoweth diuersly, giuing to diuers men diuers gifts, to some more, to some lesse, wee shall finde that the chiefe and principall cause hereof is ascribed vnto his will; 1. Cor. 12.7 To one is giuen (sayth the A­postle) the word of faith, to an other the word of wisdome, to an other the gift of healing, to an other the operatiō of great workes, to an other prophesie, to an o­ther the diuersitie of tongues, &c. All which are giuen by one and the selfe­same spirit, distributing to euery one se­uerally euen as he will. 1. Cor. 12.7. This is the cause why God dooth reueale his mysteries to babes and children, and doth hide them from the wise and pru­dent, [Page 36]because it is the will and pleasure of God as CHRIST sayth, Mat 11.27 I giue thee thankes O Father, maker of heauen and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise, and men of vnder stan­ding, and hast opened them vnto babes: it is so, O Father, because thy good will and pleasure was such. Mat. 11.27. In­somuch that in the parable of the hous­holder, Mat. 20 who hired Labourers into his Vineyard, when hee came at Euen to pay them their wages, and found one murmuring, because he gaue as much to them that came at the last houre, as to them that came at the first, he giueth no other reason hereof, but his wil: Volo huic nouissimo dare sicut tibi. I wil giue to this last as much as to thee; making his will a sufficient & a iust cause of his deede. Of whose will there is that iu­stice, that GOD is not sayde to will a thing to bee done, because it is good, but rather to make it good, because GOD will haue it to bee done; like as wee see in the creation, where [Page 37]it is first sayde that GOD created all things, and then afterwardes it is sayd that hee sawe that they were all good; to shewe that euerie thing is therefore good, because it is created, not there­fore created, because it is good. The which doth most notably cleare Gods will from the least stayn or spot of iniu­stice, because that albeit his will be the first and chiefe cause of euery thing, dooing euery thing because hee will do it: yet notwithstanding, it is not like to the will of Tyrants, whose will is com­monlie without reason, or rather a­gainst all right and reason, as the Po­et sayth: but it is most iust and holy too, as the Prophet DAVID sayth, Psalm. Psal. 145 145. The Lord is righteous in all his wayes, and holy in all his works. Wher­upon that thrice learned ZANCHIVS maketh a difference and a distinction betweene the cause of Gods will and the reason of his will; Zanch. de na­tura dei lib. 3 cap. 4. that although there bee no superiour cause of Gods will, yet notwithstanding there is [Page 38]a iust reason, and a most right end and purpose in it, because that cannot bee without reason which is done vvith great wisdome. Psal. 104 Psal. 104: in regarde whereof it is not simply called [...] the will of God, but [...] the good will and pleasure of God. Ephes. 1.11 Eph. 1.11. In­somuch that it may as truly be say de to be good in God, Deus & bo­nus est in be­neficio certo­rum, & ius­tus est in sup­plicio caetero­rum. Et bo­nus in omnib. quoniam bo­num est cum debitum red­ditur: et iustus in om­nib. [...]aoniam iustum est, cum debitum sine cuiusquā fraude dona­tur. Aug. de Bono perseu. to reiect and to cast a­way Iudas for the declaration of his iu­stice and power, as to elect & saue Pe­ter for the manifestation of his loue & mercy; both of them concurring alike to the manifestation of his glory which is the chiefest good and the last end of all things. Prou. 16.4.

The brightnesse and sun shine as it were of which truth, doth after a mar­uellous manner dispell and scatter that thick fogge, and impure mist of the Pe­lagian heresie, fancying and dreaming of certaine causes without God, as the Schoole-men speake, that is not subsi­sting in God himselfe, but externally mouing the will of God to determine [Page 39]and dispose of sundry things. As for example: in the case of election and reprobation, affirming that the will of God is moued by the works which he did foresee in vs, beeing eyther good or euill, to elect some, and to reiect o­thers, and in the case of his giftes and graces which hee bestoweth, that hee imparteth his grace vnto some, and de­nyeth it to some, in regard of the good vse or abuse thereof, which he did fore­see in vs. A doctrine not onely repug­nant to that truth which hath bin con­firmed, which maketh the will of God the first and chiefe cause not subiect vn­to any other, but also clean against the maine streame, end current both of the Scriptures, Fathers, and all Orthodox writers, who doe greatly condemne it, as obscuring and extenuating the free grace of God in the matter of our sal­uation. Ioh. 15.16 Our blessed Sauior instructing and comforting his Disciples a little before his passion with the sweet doc­trine of their election, telleth them, [Page 40]Ioh. 15. Yee haue not chosen mee but I haue chosen you, and ordained you, that ye bring forth fruit, and that you fruit remaine: therefore God hath not cho­sen men because he did foresee that hee should bee chosen of them, and that they would bring forth fruite and con­tinew in so dooing, but hee hath chosen them to make them bring forth fruit & to perseuere and continue therin. Vpon which words S. Aug. in. Ioh. tr. 86. Austen hath this obser­uation, of purpose as it seemeth against these kinde of men. Hic certè vacat va­na illorum ratiocinatio qui praescienti­am Dei defendunt contra gratiam Dei, here is the vain reasoning of them con­futed who defende the fore-knowledge of God against the grace of God, in saying that wee were elected before the foundation of the world because God did foresee and knowe before that wee would be good; which is quite contra­rie to that which Christ sayth here, Yee haue not chosen mee, but I haue chosen you. For, if God did therfore choose [Page 41]vs, because he did foresee and know we would be good, he did not choose vs to make vs good, but rather wee choose him, in purposing to be good. So also the Apostle speaking of Gods election Ephes. 1. hee sayth, Ephes. 1.4 that God hath chosen vs before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, hauing predestinated vs to be adopted through Christ Iesus vnto himselfe, according to the good pleasure of his wil: he doth not say that he hath chosen vs, because he sawe we would be holy, but that we might bee holy; neyther dooth hee say that hee hath predestinated vs for the good vse of our free-will, but accor­ding to the good pleasure of his owne will. Wherupon sayth Austen, Aug. con. In­lianum Pe­lag. li. 5. cap. 3.Nul­lum elegit dignum, sed eligendo effe­cit dignum, Hee hath nor chosen anie beeing worthie, but hee hath made them vvorthie by choosing them. But most pregnant is the testimonie of the Apostle, Romans, 9.11. Rom. 9.11 Where speaking of election and reprobation, [Page 42]or at least of the calling of the Gentiles, and the reiecting of the Iewes, he brin­geth in the example of Iacob and Esau, who being borne of the same Parents, and at one and the same time, and with­out any disparitie at all in their workes (for as yet the children were vnborne, and had done neither good nor euill) that the purpose of God might remaine according to election, not by workes but by him that calleth, it was sayd I haue lo­ued Iacob, and hated Esau. Which be­cause it might perhaps seeme vniust, he maketh this obiection vnto himselfe; What shall wee say then, is there vnrigh­teousnesse with God? To which he an­swereth; God forbid; whereof hee gi­ueth no other reason then this; for hee sayth to Moses; I wil haue mercy on him to whom I will shew mercy, and wil haue compassion on him to whom I will shewe compassion. Whereas if GOD did choose one and reiect an other for his workes fore-seene, it had beene readie for the Apostle to haue sayde so, and so [Page 43]quite to haue cleared God of the leaste suspiciō of iniustice: which forasmuch as he doth not, but standeth only vpon Gods will and his mercy, it appeareth plainly that election and reprobation and the graces and blessings of God, do not depend vpon workes forseene, but first and principally vpon the good-will and pleasure of God.

Last of all, our election which is of grace, as the Apostle sayth, Rom. 11.5. Rom. 11.5 could not stand if works and merits go before it; for if it bee of grace it is no more of works, else were grace no more &c. Wherupon sayth the same Father, Non est gratia, si praecesserunt merita, Non est gra­tia si praecesse runt merita. Haec quippe non inueni [...] merita sed facit. Aug. ibid. there is no grace, if workes and merits goe before it: Haec quippe non inuenit merita, sed facit, for grace doth not finde, but doth make and fashion good works in vs.

And yet notwithstanding though the will of God be the prime and chiefe cause of all things, before and beyond which there can bee no other moouing [Page 44]and inclining the same, yet it is not the sole and only cause, as if there were no other answere to be giuen of any thing, but only because God would haue it to bee so; forasmuch as there are also manie second causes concurring with the first, by the mediation whereof, the will of God doth effect and bring euerie thing to passe. As for example, in the matter of our saluation, if a que­stion should be asked, why God doth saue some men, is there nothing to be answered, but because God would haue them to bee saued? Yes verely the will and working of man concurreth also with the will and working of God. For, though the will and power of man is not able to doe anie thing, with­out both the wil and the especiall grace of God, Iohn 15.5 for as CHRIST sayth, With­out me ye can doe nothing, Iohn 15. Yet notwithstanding beeing preuented and assisted by the good will of God, and the powerfull and effectuall grace therof, then our wil hath power to work [Page 45]together with the will of God, and the grace of God also worketh together, with our wil; according as S. Paul saith, I labored more then they all, 1. Cor. 15.10yet not I but the grace of God with me. 1. Cor. 15.10. Else how could Dauid praie vnto God, Psal. 30. August. de peccat. mer. & remis. lib. 2. Aug. de gra. & lib. arbit. to bee his helper, sayth Saint Austen, vnlesse hee himselfe did endeuour and worke something with him? Yea: else, how could God commaund vs and ex­hort vs to doe his will, vnlesse the will of man did work something in the per­formance of it? For as therfore we pray vnto God daily, because our will is not able to do anie thing without the grace of Gods will; so God doth therefore commaund vs and exhort vs, because our will being prepared and assisted by the grace of his will, is able now to doe something in the performance of it. So as it is a most sure conclusion which Saint Austen hath, that although God hath created vs without our selues yet hee will not saue vs without our selues, Qui creanit te sine te, non seruabit te, sine to. Aug. but he will haue our will also to [Page 46]worke together with his, in the saluati­on of vs; that as hee doth inlighten vs, and sanctifie vs, and inspire vs with his heauenly grace: so wee also should be­lieue in him, and performe obedience vnto him, and doe all such holy and re­ligious duties as may bee pleasing and acceptable vnto him. Therfore when Christ shall come to giue the rewarde of saluation at the last day, he will not only haue regard vnto his wil and plea­sure in saying, Come yee blessed of my Father, inherite the kingdom of heauen prepared for you; because it is my will and pleasure to giue it vnto you, but he will also look to the working of our wil in saying: For I was hungry and ye gaue me meat, Matthew 25I thirsted & ye gaue me drink, I was naked and yee clothed mee, &c. Shewing most plainely that not onely the will of God, but also our owne will working with the grace of Gods will, is a second meanes wherby God would haue euerie one to attaine vnto saluati­on.

[Page 47]So also in the case of damnation, Decretum reprobationis non ponit ne­cessitatem damnationis nisi interue­niente peccae­to. Et quidē consequutiuè non causali­ter est a re­probatione damnatio. if anie shall aske why a great many are damned, can there, or ought there no­thing else to be answered, but because God would haue them to be damned? Farre bee it from vs to make God the Authour of mans damnation, onely to satisfie his owne will, because he would haue it to be so. Yea rather the will of man, and the malice and wickednesse thereof, is the cause of it; insomuch that God damneth none but in regarde of sinne as Austen sayth: August. ad Sixtum Ep. 105. Bucer. in re­for. eccl. de pecc. orig. with whome also Bucer a most learned and iudicious writer of our owne agreeth, in saying that whosoeuer are damned, are dam­ned for their owne sinne, because God is iust, and therefore dooth not con­demne anie to eternall death, but such as perish through their owne wicked­nesse. Lombart. lib. 1. Seut. dist. 41. Aquin. sum. par. 1. quaest. 23. art. 5. For though GOD doth repro­bate and passe ouer some in forsaking and leauing them vnto themselues; e­uen of his meere will onely without a­ny respect either of good or euil in them [Page 48]euerie man beeing to God as a peece of claie in the hands of the Potter, Deus repro­bauit quos vo luit, nō prop­ter futura merita quae praeuideret &c. Lomb. lib. 1. dist. 41 Bellarm. li. 2 de gra. & li. arbit. cap. 10 Rhem. annot. in Ro. 9 sect. 5. whereof it is free vnto him to make ei­ther a vessell of mercie, or a vessell of wrath (which Bellarmine calleth ne­gatiue reprobation, and doth graunt to depend onely vpon the will of God without anie respect had vnto men, though the Rhemists and some other Papists doe ioyne with the Pelagians herein, Ordinatio ad poenam est à iustissima dei voluntate, nō tamen exclu­so respectu peccati. Vt e­nim actu dā ­nātur homi­nes ob pecca­tum: ita de­creuit Deus eosdem dam­nare ob idem peccatum. Nec tamen peccatum de­creti damna­tionis causae est, &c. affirming it to depend vpon a foresight and foreknowledge of sin) yet notwithstanding hee doth not adiudge anie to eternall damnation, without respect of sinne in the person that is damned; which hee calleth positiue reprobation; because GOD beeing most iust, dooth not punish nor tor­ment a Reprobate for his will & plea­sure onelie, but for his sinne; which hee foreseeing from all eternitie, de­creed to punish with eternall damna­tion for the declaration and manifesta­tion of his iustice. And therfore when CHRIST also shall pronounce his sen­tence [Page 49]against the wicked and reprobate at the last day, in saying; Reprobatio quoad propo­situm dese­rendi creatu­rum absoluta est, quoad propositum damnandi peccati, respe­ctiua. Nemo enim nisi suae culpa perit, & nemo ab­solutè ordina­tur ad gehen­nant. Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire, hee will not make this the cause of it, Because it is my will and pleasure to haue it so, but be­cause they haue grieuously sinned in not doing those works of mercy which hee required of them. Wherefore, as wee doe iustlie condemne the Pelagi­an and Popish heresie, for that it ten­deth to the aduancing and extolling of our owne merits, and to the obscuring and extenuating of the free grace of God: So on the other side, we doe as iustly condemne the fonde and vaine conceit of some, who ascribe the cause of saluation and damnation to the will of God onely, without regarde of anie thing in our own selues: because this o­peneth a gap vnto sin, and looseth the raynes as it were to all kinde of wic­kednesse, by laying an imputation of mens damnation vpon the will of God onely. The right vse wee are to make of this Doctrine, is, to adore and [Page 50]reuerence the will of God as the prime and chiefe cause of all things; aboue which there is none higher, and to sub­mit our selues in all dutie and humilitie vnto it, acknowledging it alwaies to be iust, howsoeuer many times it is secret and hid from vs. For, seeing that God himself is most iust, whatsoeuer he wil­leth must needes bee iust; for as Au­sten sayes, August. ad Siutum ep. 105. Non potest Deus facere iniusta, quia ipse est sūma iustitia Aug. lib. de Sp. & litera. Iniustum esse non potest, quod placuit iusto; whatsoeuer seemeth good to him that is most iust in all things, that which hee willeth cannot possibly be vniust, his will beeing the very rule of iustice, and euery thing therefore iust, because hee willeth the same. And forasmuch as God dooth not worke things by his own will only, but by the cooperatiō of our will toge­ther with his: therfore as Gods worke­men, and Gods laborers we are to work together with him, by conforming our wil vnto his, for the performance of it; that so the will of God may be done in earth as it is in heauē, which is the thing [Page 51]we daily desire, and the principall end and duty of euery man.

Now for the other point, viz. that the will of God is powerfull and effectuall to performe and accomplish whatsoe­uer it will, so as nothing is able to resist and to withstand it, that doth necessari­ly follow vpon the former proposition. For seeing the will of God is the first and vniuersall cause of all things; no secondary causes whatsoeuer can haue power to hinder or preuaile against it; Aug. in En­chir. ad Lau. cap. 100. but the first dooth rule and swaie the se­cond, and keepeth them all in their dew order. In regarde whereof S. Austen doth attribute a certaine omnipotency vnto the will of God, Nonob aliud dicitur Deus ommipotens nisi quia quie quid vult po­test, nec vo­luntate cuius­piam creatu­rae voluntatis omnipotentis impeditur ef­fectus. Aug. lib. 1. confes. cap. 4. calling it the om­nipotent will of God; because it is a­ble to doe all things, and nothing is a­ble to do any thing against it; the form­er wherof is confirmed by the Prophet Dauid, Psal. 115. Whatsoeuer it pleased the Lord, that did hee in heauen and in earth, and in all places: The latter by the Apostle, Rom. 9. saying of Gods [Page 52]wil, Who hath euer resisted his will? The which is so powerfull and so effectuall that the wicked who as much as in them lyeth, doe resist the will of God reuea­led and commaunded vnto vs in his word (which the Schoolemen call, Lombar. Sēt. lib. 1. cap. 45 Vo­luntatem signi, his signified and reuea­led will, signifying his will and plea­sure vnto vs) yet notwithstanding, will they, nill they, they fulfill the secret will of GOD decreede in him­selfe from all eternitie, which they call Voluntatem bene-placiti, the will of his purpose, or his secret will. Wher­of wee may see an example in Herod, Pilate, and the wicked Iewes; who in crucifying our Lord and Sauiour, did most manifestlie resist the will of GOD reuealed in his word; (for, what more cruell and haynous mur­der coulde bee committed, then to crucifie the LORD of life, 1. Cor. 2.8 and the LORD of glorie) and yet herein they did performe and fulfill the secret will of God: because they did that which the [Page 53]hand and counsell of God had deter­mined before to be done. Of which, S. Act. 4.28 Austen sayes; that euen in that which they did against the will of God reuea­led in his commandements, Hoc ipso quod contrae voluntatem Dei fecerunt de ipsis facta est voluntas eius. Aug. in Ench. ad Laur. cap. 98 they did performe and accomplish the will of God, hid in his secret counsell. Not that there are diuers and contrarie wills in God, whose essence as it is most sim­ply without composition or diuision; so his wil also which is nothing else but his eternal decree concerning al things, De his qui faciunt quae non vult, fa­cit ipse quae vult. Aug. de Cor. & Grā. is one, immutable, and vnresistable: but it is sayde to be manifolde; partly in re­garde of diuers things which God wil­leth (there being one will towardes vs, shewing it selfe in his loue and mercie, wherwith he electeth and saueth vs; and an other will concerning vs, Voluntas Dei alia de nobis, alia quā fie­ri vult ano­bis. Zanch. li. 3. de Natura Dei. wherby he requireth duty & obedience of vs); part­ly in regard of the diuers maners, wher­with he seemes to will those things that he willeth; as in willing som things sim­ply & absolutely without any conditiō, as the creatiō & preservatiō of the world [Page 54]which will is alwaies performed and accomplished; againe in willing some things conditionally; as to haue all men to bee saued if they beleeue, and to bestow his blessings vpon them if they obay him; which will is not alwaies performed and fulfilled: and therefore it is said not to bee so properly the will of God as the other, there being indeed no conditionall will in God, but onely in the reuelation and manifestation of it, which otherwise in it selfe is most ab­solute, and alwayes most certainly ful­filled and accomplished. Which doc­trine concerning the infallible perfor­mance of Gods will; I doe not see how it can well stand with the doctrine of v­niuersall grace, as by some it is main­tained; as if God ordained and offered sauing grace vnto all, and would abso­lutely haue all men whatsoeuer to be sa­ued. For, if God would haue them sa­ued in his absolute & secret will which is the will of his good pleasure and his proper will indeed (for we do not denie [Page 55]but that hee would haue all men to bee saued in his reuealed and conditionall will in offering them the meanes of sal­uation in the Word and Sacraments) I demaund then, Sic velle & nolle in volē ­tis & nolentis est potestate, vt diuinam voluntatem non impediat nec superet potestatem. Aug. de Corr. & Grā. cap. 14. Tanquam dei voluntas su­perata sit ho­minum volū ­tate, & infir­missimis no­lendo impe­dientib. non potuerit face­re potentissi­mus quod vo­lebat. Aug. in Enchir. ad Laurent. cap. 97. what is the reason that they are not saued? Will they say that the cause hereof is not in the wil of God but in the malitiousnesse and froward­nesse of mans will, who will not be­leeue nor receiue the grace of God of­fered vnto him? what is this else but to make the wil of God to depēd vpon the will of man, and to subordinate the first cause vnto the second, which by the law of nature ought to order and to dispose the second cause? Yea as Saint Austen sayes, to make the weake and peeuish will of man, of more power then the omnipotent wil of God; as if the wil of God were ouercom by the will of man. Of which we may truly say, as Tertul­lian sometimes sayde wittily of the he­thenish Romanes, who had a lawe that the Emperor might not deify nor con­secrate any man to be a god, vnlesse he [Page 56]was first allowed and approued by the Senate; viz. that their gods stood to the curresie and liking of men; Ita de huma­no arbitratu pensitatur di­uinitas. Nisi Deus homini placuerit, Deus nō erit: homo tam Deo propitius esse debebit. Tertul. in Apol. cap. 5. so as, vnlesse they had the fauour and the good-will of men, they might not be admitted in­to the order of their gods. And is it not so here likewise? though God would neuer so faine haue his will to stand, yet it shall not vnlesse man bee willing and say Amen vnto it: if hee will belieue & receive grace, then Gods wil shal stand; but if he will not, or do not, then it must bee voide and of no effect: whereas e­uen in reason hee whose will is of most strength, and of most power, ought to haue the sway and the preheminence; like as our Sauiour Christ saith vnto his Father concerning his humane will, which hee willingly submitted vnto his diuine will; Math. 26. Not my will but thy wil be done.

Thus much of the Lepers petition: the next thing is Christs answere vnto it, in the words that followe. IESVS stretching forth his hand touched him, [Page 57]saying, I will bee thou cleane, which you shall finde euerie waie aunswera­ble and agreeable to the Lepers petiti­on. The Leper as you heard comes to our Sauiour CHRIST and worships him: our Sauiour hee stretcheth out his hand, and toucheth him; the Le­per hee sayth: Si vis potes, if thou wilt thou canst make mee cleane; our Saui­our sayth, Volo, mundare, I wil be thou cleane. In dooing and performing of which cure, CHRIST vseth his hand and his tongue as you see; his hand, in stretching forth his hand, and touching him; his tongue, in say­ing, Volo, mundare, I will, bee thou cleane.

For the first, if any man shal demand why our Sauiour CHRIST toucheth this Leper contrarie to the Lawe as it should seeme, beeing able to haue healed him without the least touch of him; I answere, that it was not with­out especiall reason and considerati­on. First, to shewe that hee was not [Page 38]vnder the lawe in such sort as others were, but was Lord and Commander of the lawe it selfe. Leuit. 14 The lawe forbad that anie man should touch a Leper; if hee did hee was counted vncleane: and therfore when Naaman the Syrian came to Elisha the Prophet to bee healed of his leprosie, 2. Kings 5. the Prophet suffers him, though hee was a man of honour to stand without the door, & sends him to the riuer Iordan to wash himself there; which he did because he would obserue the law: but our Sauiour Christ beeing not onely vnder the law Gal. 4.4. Gal 4.4 Mar. 2.28 Lex non ideò vetuit tange­re lepram ne leprosi sana­rentur, sed vt ne tangentes lepram in­quinarentur. Chrysost. in. Matt. but also aboue the law Mar. 2.28. he stret­cheth forth his hand and toucheth this leper. And yet he did not break the law for all this: because the law did not for­bid to touch the leprosie, least lepers might bee healed thereby, but contra­riwise least those that were not lepers might be infected thereby. And ther­fore Christ touching this Leper to heale him not to bee insected of him (for as the Apostle sayth, Tit. 1.15 Omnia munda mun­dis, [Page 59]to the cleane all things are cleane, and that blessed hand of his had a pow­er to sanctifie, not to bee polluted) hee [...]oseth and dissolueth the letter of the [...]awe as Chrysostome sayth, Christus tan­gendo leprosū literam legis soluit, propo­sitū eius non soluit. Chrys. ibid. but he doth [...]ot dissolue the intent and purpose of [...]t; and so by consequence dooth not [...]reake the lawe; because the lawe doth [...]ot consist as Saint Austen sayes in the [...]eaues of the letter, and of the wordes hereof, but in the roote of reason, and [...]nd of the true intent and meaning of [...]; so as the matter and meaning ther­ [...]f is not subiect vnto the letter, Intelligentia dictorum ex causis assu­menda est di­cendi, quia non sermoni res, sed rei debet esse sermo subiec­tus. Hilar li. 14. de Trin. as Hil­ [...]ary sayes, but the letter is subiect to the [...]atter and meaning of it; in which re­gard the ciuill lawe sayth, that whosoe­ [...]er shall insist vpon the words of the [...]awe contrarie to the meaning of it, he [...]oth sinne and offend against the lawe, [...]eyther shall hee vnder a colour of wordes escape the punishment of it. The ground whereof is this; because [...]ll lawes if they bee iust are deriued [...]yther from the lawe of God or the [Page 60]lawe of nature, and are ordained vnto the publick and common good of men [...] and therefore if a man doth not offend either against the mind and meaning o [...] the Lawe-giuer, or against the main [...] end and purpose of the lawe; certain [...] it is that he doth not violate nor break [...] the lawe. Which is a matter that doth very much concerne Iudges and Ma­gistrates, and those that haue the ma­naging of the lawes; not to attribut [...] too much to the letter of the lawe, ey­ther by suffering contentions and trou­blesome persons to vexe and molest o­thers, onely with the fauour of the le [...] ­ter, Fauor literae impietatis praetextus. Tertul. which Tertullian calleth a pretext and cloak of impiety, or by iudging ac­cording to the rigour of the letter, no [...] according to the intent and equity [...] the lawe. Whereby it falleth out tha [...] the lawe which is good, 1. Tim. 1.8 as S. Paul sait [...] if a man vse it lawefully, 1. Tim. 1. [...] is manie times made the ministratio [...] of death and condemnation, 2. Cor. 3 by suc [...] as do abuse and peruert the same. For [Page 61]as the Apostle saith, in an other case, the letter killeth, but the spirit giueth life: so wee may truely say heere, that the rigour and extremitie of the lawe, which is of the letter, dooth hurt and wrong manie times; but the equitie which is of the spirit and meaning of the lawe, that dooth right and iustice to euerie man.

Secondly, CHRIST stretcheth out his hand and toucheth the Leper, beeing able to haue healed him with­out it, to the end that men should not thinke that hee did feare to take the in­fection, and himselfe to become a Le­per; and to shewe withall, that hee woulde not omit nor leaue so godlie and charitable a deede for anie nice­nesse or squeamishnesse, that hee had of the loathsomenesse of the disease. A matter that GREGORIE NAZI­ANZENE dooth greatly complayne of in his time, Melior est conditio vitij quam morbi, &c. Nazi­anz. lib. de Amore pau­perum. in saying that the conditi­on of sinne was better then the condi­tion of sicknesse; for men, sayth hee, [Page 62]wil conuerse & delight in the company of drunkards, whoremongers, com­mon swearers, and such like; but they doe abhorre and shunne the presenc [...] and company of poore, and sicke and diseased persons. The which is no [...] spoken to animate any to bee withou [...] all feare of the contagion and infecti­on, and to runne more boldely the [...] wisely into the companie of those that are infected, because our Sauior Christ here putteth forth his hand & toucheth this Leper; vnlesse withall our hands were as pure and holy, and as full o [...] power & vertue to preserue our selues as his were; but that in other diseases where there is not a speciall prouiso by the law as there was for this, and wher­in there is not a malignant and veno­mous qualitie in the disease as there is in this, and where nature is of more strength and ability to resist and defend it selfe then it is in this; that then we be not ouer nice and daintie in abhorring and disdaining poore and sicke persons, [Page 63]but to stretch out our hands and to touch them, by visiting, helping and re­ [...]ieuing of them; and that by the exam­ple of our Lord and Master here: who although hee was able to haue healed him by his word onely, yet notwith­standing he disdained not to stretch out his hand, and to heale him by touching of him. Which practice and example of Christs, if any shall suppose to be a­boue the reach and imitation of a Chri­stian (although euery imitable worke of Christs, whereof this is one, not as a miracle but as a deede of pietie, is not onely our instruction but also our imi­ [...]ation) let him consider and set before his eyes the Samaritane, who seeing the poore trauailer in a pittiful case, Luke 10.30 robbed of his mony, spoyled of his rayment, wounded in his bodie, and left desolate without al comfort, did not as the Priest and the Leuite did, who may fitly be re­sembled to the man with the withered hand, Mark, 3. Mark. 3.1 looking on him and pas­sing by him, as if they had not beene a­ble [Page 64]to stretch out their hands vnto him; but assoone as euer he sees him, hee is moued with compassion, and come [...] vnto him, and stretches out both his hands to helpe him, in binding vp his woundes, in powring oyle and win [...] into them, in setting him vpon his ow [...] beast, in bringing him to an Inne, and making prouisiō for him, being willing to pay all his costs and charges for him. The which I wish were practised a [...] carefully and religiously by men of so [...] & fashion, both in this honourable C [...] ­tie and in other places where this con­tagious and grieuous sicknesse is, as pi­ety and charitie dooth claime and chal­lenge it of them; I meane by making such prouision for their relief and com­fort at such times, that none of the [...] might bee suffered to perish either i [...] the streets, or in the fieldes, or in the [...] houses for want of succour, whom [...] Christ hath bought and purchased [...] dearely with his owne bloud; Act. 20.28 that a [...] though they bee not present in perso [...] [Page 65]in such contagious times, or if they were, & that it were not safe to stretch out their hands, & to helpe them by a reall and corporall touching of them, yet at the least to be present in spirit & loue, and to helpe them by a virtuall & powerfull touching of them, in pro­uiding so for them in this their afflicti­on and miserie, that nothing which is needfull be wanting vnto them. Other­wise some to flie and leaue the Citie for feare of danger (which I doe not con­demne if they would leaue substitutes and pledges of their charity behinde them) and others to staie heere and to shut vp those persons whose houses are visited (which notwithstanding I con­fesse to bee very necessarie for the pre­uenting and auoyding of danger) tea­ching them in great Capitall letters o­uer their dores to pray to the Lord to haue mercy vpon them, but they them­selues in the meane time, not shewing the least iot of mercie vnto them; what is this else but to add more miserie and [Page 66]affliction vnto them, and to blind and delude the world, making it to belieue that they died of the plague, when as in very truth they dyed of famine; who happely might very well haue recoue­red of the plague, had they not for want of things necessarie beene consumed with famine. Oh! how can these men praie vnto God when as they are eyther in the like or in anie other distresse, and desire him to haue mercie on them af­ter his great goodnesse, Psal. 51.1 and according to the multitude of his mercies, when as they themselues are so vnmercifull, not shewing mercie to their poore bre­thrē according to the least of Gods mer­cies. And because this is so necessary a duty, giue mee leaue to vrge it a little more, and to exhort those whom it doth concerne, not to perform it barely and niggardly, but to do it liberally & boun­tifully though it be with some strayning, & stretching of themselues: which hap­pely was some cause that our mercifull Sauiour doth not only touch the Leper, [Page 67]but also stretcheth forth his hand and toucheth him; to teach vs in helping the poore & the sick, at such times especial­ly, to stretch our selues, and to be libe­rall and bountifull in helping of them. It is an obseruation that S. Chrysost. hom 37. ad pop. Antioch. Chrysostome hath, that the Prophet Dauid doth not simply commend those that giue, but those that stretch out their hands when they giue in giuing liberally, especially when as they are able: for so he saith of a righteous man, Psal, 112. Dispersit, Psal. 112dedit pauperibus, Hee hath skattered and giuen to the poore; hee doth not onely say hee hath giuen, but hee hath skattered and giuen; which implyeth a liberall and a bountifull largesse. For what great charitie is it, sayth the fame Father, for a man abounding vvith store and plentie, as the Sea dooth with water, to giue so much to those that are in distresse out of his store, as a little cuppe or dish woulde holde of the water that is taken out of the Sea. Though it was sufficient for [Page 68]the poore Widdowe to cast two mites into the treasurie, Luke 21.1. because it was all that shee had, yet the rich men they cast great giftes into the offeringes. And though it was enough for the children to crie Hosanna, Mat. 21. and for poore men to cut down branches, and to strewe them before Christ; yet the rich men were at more cost in casting their garments in the waie. As Alexander answered a begger that asked him a pennie, that it was not fit for a King to giue a penny: so it is not fit for those that haue receiued bountifully to giue niggardly; for, To whom much is giuen, Luke 12.48 sayth Christ, of him much shall be required. Luk. 12.48. So then, for the conclusion of this se­cond reason: let vs in this and such like cases follow the Apostles admonition: which is to put on bowels of mercie and compassion. Col. 3.12Col. 3. that is, not onely to be mercifull, but to put on mercie, that as we put on our cloaths and garments and weare them vpon vs, so also to put on mercy & compassion as a garment, [Page 69]and to weare it alwaies about with vs; and not to put on mercie onely, but to put on bowelles of mercie, so as our bowells do euen yearne within vs, bee­ing mooued with a tender and a most compassionate affection towards them, which neuer produceth and bringeth forth a lesse effect in rich & great men, then a liberall and a bountifull subuen­tion of them.

The third cause why Christ touched this Leper, was to shew that hee estee­med more of charity (as Pellican obser­ueth) then hee did of all the prescripts and customs of the law, to whose com­mand all things whatsoeuer are to yeeld and to become subiect. And therefore though hee coulde haue healed him without any laying of his hand vp­pon him; yet to performe a worke of mercie, he regardeth not the lawe nor the right and ceremonie, onely to giue the primacie and preheminence vnto charitie. And not without iust regarde and consideration; for seeing that the [Page 70]whole lawe is comprehended in chari­tie, Rom. 13.9 as the Apostle saith, in regard wher­of it is called, the bond of perfection, and the fulfilling of the law; Col. 3. great rea­son there is that all other things what­soeuer being inferiour, should yeelde and giue place vnto it as to their superi­our. Hence it is that our Sau [...]our Christ, who otherwise most strictly and religiously obserued the Sabboth, in which it was commaunded that men should not do anie worke, yet in regard of charitie, he healed and did many o­ther good workes vpon the Sabbath, with this defence of it against the ma­lice and calumnies of the Pharisies, that the Sabbaoth was made for man, Mark. 2.27and not man for the Sabbath. Marke, 2.27. insomuch that preaching, and praying, and such like duties, if anie present ne­cessitie or dutie of charitie required, were to yeelde and to giue place vn­to it; Act. 20.7 as in the case of Eutichus, Act. 20.7. who falling into a dead sleepe while PAVL was long in preaching, [Page 71]and falling from a third loft, whence hee was taken vp dead, PAVL lea­ueth his preaching and comes vnto him, and laboureth to recouer life in him. Yea those holy instruments and ornaments which are vsed in the seruice of GOD, Aurū habet Ecclesia non vt seruet, sed vt eroget & subueniat in necessitatib: Tunc vasa ecclesiae etiam initiata con­fringere, con­flare, vendere licet. Amb. de officijs lib. 2 cap. 28. and ought onelie to bee im­ploied to such vse being holy and conse­crated thereunto, yet in a case of chari­tie, and of some eminent necessitie, as Saint AMBROSE sayth, they may be diuerted and employed to godlie and charitable vses: the ground and war­rant whereof is that rule which God hath giuen vnto himselfe, Misericor­diam volo, & non sacrificium, I will haue mercie and not sacrifice.Ose 6.6 Socr. hist. ec­cl. li. 7. cap. 21 Deus nosier ne (que) lancibus neq poculis e­get: nam nec comedit nec bibit, quippe qui his rebus minimè opus habet, &c.Ose. Chap. 6. Ver. 6. Wee reade in the Ecclesiasticall historie, that when as the Romane Souldiours had taken di­uers of the Persians Captiues, to the number of 7. thousand, whom rather then they would suffer to goe free with­out ransom, suffered them to starue & to perish for want of sustenance, Acacius [Page 72]the Bishop of Amida calleth his clergy together making this speech vnto thē; Our God whom we serue hath no need eyther of dishes, or platters, or pots, or cuppes; because he neither eateth nor drinketh, nor hath anie neede of ey­ther. Wherefore, forasmuch as our Church dooth possesse many monu­ments of golde and siluer which haue bin giuen out of the ready & godly de­uotion of well affected Christians, it is meete and necessary that herewith wee should ransome and redeem poore cap­tiues out of bondage, and releeue and cherish them, being almost affamished and killed with hunger. Whereupon presently hee beat the plate in peeces, sold the ornaments of the Church, and gaue the price thereof partly to the Ro­man soldiers for the ransom of the cap­tiues, and partly to the captiues to sa­tisfie and to releeue their hunger with­all. The like wee reade of Ethelwoldus Bishop of Winchester, in the time of the West Saxons, about the yeare of [Page 73]our Lord, 962. who in a great famine soulde the sacred vessells of the Church to releeue the poore that were almost starued; saying, that there was no rea­son that the senselesse temples of God should abound in riches, and the liue­ly Temples of the holy Ghost lacke it. Which wealth & riches if the Church had now as it had then in those times, I could very well like that in such cases it should be imployed to holy and chari­table vses whensoeuer extreame neces­sitie required it: but because this wealth hath long since beene gone from the Church, and is come into many laie mens hands who do possess the wealth therof, so as the Church, which in times past as you see did both redeem captives and releeue a great many poore in a time of famine, with the wealth which it had then, hath now neede to bee re­deemed it selfe from neede and begge­rie, and to bee releeued with some part of her own wealth, which some tempo­rall men haue gotten into their hands; I [Page 74]could wish and desire these men that doe thus possesse the patrimonie of the Church, 1. King. 21 as Achab did Naboths vine­yard, to consider and to remember, that a great part of their wealth was in times past the goods and possessions of the Church; and that diuiding their eccle­siasticall reuenues from their tempo­rall as a shepheard diuideth his sheepe from the goates, the one as proper vn­to themselues, the other altogether im­proper & belonging vnto the Church, though they did not bestowe anie of their temporall, yet at the least they would bestowe the ecclesiasticall reue­nues vpon holy and charitable vses, in times of sicknesse and of famine as these are: which they see the Church was ve­ry readie and willing to doe, when as they were masters of their own goods, and vvere thought vvorthie to holde their wealth in their owne hands. Or if this shall seeme a hard saying, which no man will heare; yet at least, that which both they and other rich men bestowe [Page 75]at other times in vaine delights and pa­stimes, in sumptuousnesse and superflu­ [...]tie, in pompe and magnificence, in stately buildings and solemne feasts, or in anie kind of ostentation; they would in times of affliction and calamitie, de­faulke out of all these, not with anie reseruation thereof vnto themselues to gaine or to saue by it, but with a god­ly and charitable affection to helpe and to releeue the poore with it. And yet notwithstanding (to returne again vn­to the matter from whence wee are a little digressed) as all Lawes and Or­ders, Rites and Ceremonies, and all things whatsoeuer, are to yeelde vnto Charity: so to neglect or to violate any Laws or Orders, Rites or Ceremonies, or to omit anie duty that we are to per­form, without regarde eyther of reue­rence to Rulers, and Gouernours, or of obedience to lawes and orders, or of a wise and iust consideration of chari­tie rightlie grounded as it ought to be, for the performing of some more [Page 76]necessarie and more excellent worke, is a manifest breach and contempt of the lawe, and a disobedience also vnto the Lawegiuer. So that to heale or to doe anie worke vpon the Sabboth without relation to som holy and present neces­sitie, or without respect of pietie & cha­ritie, what is this else, but to violate and to profane the Sabboth? To leaue the preaching of the word and the admini­stration of the holy Sacraments, not vpon any true ground of zeale and pie­tie, but rather vpon contention and in­nouation to please our own fancies and to satisfie mens humours; what is this else but an Apostasie and to reuolt from our holy orders? To alienate the goods of the Church and to conuert them to ciuill vses without respect of chariti [...] in redeeming of captiues, Si insua quis deriuet emo­lumenta cri­men est: si ve­rò paeuperibus eroget, capti­nū redimat, misericordia est. Ambr. ibid. releeuing of the poor, and such like vses; what is this else but sacriledge, & to rob both God and the Church? Lastly, to end the matter we began withal, to touch a Le­per, and to run desperately in a kind of [Page 77]brauery vnto such as are infected with the plague, without regard of holy and discreet charitie, for the necessarie help and succour which they ought to haue by somthat are appointed for their kee­ping, and making of necessarie proui­sion for them; what is this else but a des­perate boldnesse, and a presumptuous tempting of God? And therfore how­soeuer Christ toucheth this Leper, to shewe that all things ought to yeelde to charitie, yet to touch an vncleane person with some godly and charitable end and purpose, Tangere ho­minem immū dum nullae sancta causa, &c. homo pi­us non faciet, nec Christus docuit. Pelli. in hunc locū. with the daunger of those that we liue and conuerse withal, or with contempt & neglect of publick order prescribed by those that are in authority, for the generall good & be­nefire of men; neyther ought a godly man to doe it, neither did Christ euer teach vs for to doe it. Which maketh me many times to pitie and to lament the desperate boldnes of diuers among vs, who in a vanity and a foolish hardi­nesse, and in the confidence of their [Page 78]faith as they imagine, will contrarie to all good order and good discretion run into howses that are visited, as if the plague could not be infectious in such sort as the leprosie was, nor infect anie but onely such as want faith, nor were to bee feared nor shunned anie more then an ordinary ague is. The which I verelie perswade my selfe not to bee the least cause that the contagion re­steth and continueth so long amongst vs, both because wee doe not feare and tremble at Gods iudgements, as wee ought to doe, making a light ac­count of them, and because wee doe not yeelde obedience vnto our Rulers and Gouernours; who in great care and wisedom do prouide for the com­mon good and safetie of vs, if wee woulde submit our selues vnto them; and because wee will not vse that care and prouidence which in a time of dan­ger wee ought to vse for our preseruati­on and deliuerance. But I leaue this vn­to them, to whom the reformation her­of [Page 79]of belongeth, and come now to ex­amine the causes, why our Sauiour Christ doth not onely vse his hand, but also his tongue in healing this Leper; beeing able to haue healed him, both without touching, and without spea­king anie one word vnto him.

The first reason wherof, I suppose with Chrysostom to be this, that all the peo­ple that was present might knowe that hee was healed by him that sayde hee would heale him, or rather comman­ded him to be healed, in saying, Volo, mundare, I wil, be thou clean. For had CHRIST healed him secretly without speaking, among so great a multitude as was about him, how coulde anie haue discerned whether hee was healed by him or by some other. And therfore to the end that this might certainely bee knowen, he doth not onely vse his hand in touching him, but his tongue also in speaking and saying; Volo, mundare, I will be thou clean. So that our blessed Sauiour, who otherwise did not de­sire [Page 80]to be popular nor seeke in anie vain glorie to bee famous in the world; Ioh. 7.3. yet notwithstanding to make himselfe kno­wen to be the Messias that was to com, Mat. 11.4 and to the ende that by his workes the world might beleeue in him; hee doth not onely worke great miracles but hee would also haue the miracles knowen to be done by himselfe, and not by any other. Wherein is propounded vnto vs, a matter worthy of our considerati­on, viz. how farre forth we are to desire and seek after a priuate and a close kind of life: which is to be determined and to be measurd by a due regard of Gods honour, the aduauncement wherof we ought carefully to seeke after; and o [...] the profit and benefit of our brethren to whome we owe a dutie of loue, be­ing debtors one vnto another; that [...] by a more practicke and publicke kind of life, we may better [...] God an [...] profit others, wee are [...] to con­tent our selues with a priuate and a con­templatiue life, but rather to come a [...] [Page 81]broade into the world, and to liue a more publickeand a conspicuous kinde of life. For though a priuate and reti­ring kind of life be more sweet and de­lightfull vnto our selues: Bern. in Cant. ser. 85. (for as Ber­nard saith: Aliter afficitur mens fructi­ficans verbo, & fruens verbo, the mind [...]s otherwise affected in bringing forth fruite with the word, and otherwise in enioying & meditating of the word, euen as a mother is more ioyfull in the arms of her husband, then in the birth of her children) yet notwithstanding, a publick and an actiue life is more profi­table and beneficiall vnto others; there being more profit, as the same Father sayth, in the breasts of the mother then [...]hen in the embracing and kissing of [...]he husband; according to that in the Canticles, meliora sunt vbera tua vino [...]hy breasts are better then wine. Cant. [...].2. Saint Austen discoursing of 3. Aug. de Ci­uit. Dei. lib. 19. cap. 19 [...]inds of life, viz. the contemplatiue, [...]he actiue, and that which is mixt of both, sayth that although a man may [Page 82]with a sound faith liue in any of al these, & may come to heauen in any of them: yet notwithstanding hee is to consider what hee is to holde in regarde of veri­tie, and what he is to bestowe in regard of charitie; affirming that no man ought to bee so giuen to contemplati­on, that hee neglect to edifie and to do good vnto others; neyther ought anie to bee so in continuall action, that he forget and neglect to thinke vpon God. In our action and practice wee are not to rest in our employments and our necessarie businesse, but to looke vp higher vnto contemplation, for the good and benefit of our selues. In our contemplation wee are not to rest in our owne delight and comfort; but to bethinke our selues of some businesse wee are to doe for the profit and bene­fit of others. Ociumsanct­um quaerit charitas: nego tium iustum suscipit ne­cessitas cha­ritatis: Aug. ibid. For (as the same Father sayth) the loue of the truth requireth a holie rest, and the necessitie of loue taketh a necessarie and a iust businesse vpon it selfe. The Spouse in the Can­ticles [Page 83]desiring to knowe where hir belo­ued fedde at noone, saying Shew me, O thou whome my soule loueth, where thou feedest, where thou lyest at noone, receiued this aunswere againe; If thou knowest not, O thou fairest among wo­men, get thee forth by the steppes of the flocke, and feede thy kiddes by the tents of the Shepheardes: Bern. in Cant ser. 41. telling the Church that shee must not feede her selfe only, by studie, and contemplati­on, but shee must feede the kiddes and the flockes also by labour and practice. Whereof there was a mysticall signi­fication (as it may seem) in Iacob, who desirous to enioy Rachel, for whom he serued seauen yeares, vnwittingly and vnwillingly lay with Leah instead of Ra­chel, not the faire one, but the fruit­full one: teaching vs heereby that wee should not dote too much vpon faire Rachel in contenting & delighting our selues with a pri [...]at & a speculative life, but to ioyn our selues also with Leah in imploying our selues in an actiue and a [Page 84]practicke kind of life; for though Ra­chel (which as the Fathers say, signifies the contemplatiue life) be bewtifull & faire: Ali [...]d est quod [...] latificat cor bominis, aliud quod adificat multos. Bern. in Cant. ser. 9 yet Leah which signifieth the ac­tiue life, is more fruitful and profitable; the one reioysing the heart but of one, the other reioysing and comforting the hearts of many.

The 2. reason why Christ vseth his tong in healing this Leper, was to shew he would heale him after a decent and a seemely fashion, not doing his mira­cles and his other workes, by dumbe shewes and apish gestures, and by mut­tering and mumbling, as inchaunters and sorcerers vse to doe; but by an ex­presse and significant voyce, ioyned with an outward signe or action, signi­fying his wil and pleasure for the doing of it. To which end it is obserued, he sel­dome or neuer doth any miracle, but he vseth his tongue and his speech when hee doth it. So long as hee refused to heale the Caananite to make triall of hir faith. Mat. 15. Mat. 15. he would not aun­swere [Page 85]one word vnto her; but afterward purposing to heale her, hee opened his sacred mouth and speaketh vnto her: O woman! great is thy faith, bee it vnto thee as thou hast sayd. So did he to the woman of Syrophonissa, that woulde haue stolne an healing from him, Mat. Mat. 9 9. by comming closely behinde him and touching the hemme of his gar­ment: but Christ knowing it, and not willing to haue her healed by touching only, hee turneth about, and speaketh vnto her, saying; Daughter be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. Mar. 7 So did he to the deafe man, Mark 7. in putting his fingers into his eares, and saying, Ephata, be opened: Luke 18 to the blind man, Luke 18. in touching his eyes, and saying, Receiue thy sight; Luke 7 to the wi­dowes sonne, Luke 7. in touching the coffin, and saying, Young man, Ioh. 11.I say to thee arise; to Lazarus, Ioh. 11. in gro­ning, and saying vnto him, Lazarus, come forth; to the woman that was possessed with a diuell, Mat. 8. Mat. 8 I charge [Page 86]thee thou vnclean spirit, that thou come out of him; and to the Leper here, in touching him, and saying, Volo, munda­re, I will be thou clean. Which it is ve­ry credible that our Sauiour Christ did, to discouer the vanitie, and to condemn the impiety of coniurers and forcerers, who will take vpon them to doe great matters by outwarde and visible signes onelie, as characters, figures, framing of circles, hanging of amulets about the necke, and such like trumperie; things which in nature haue no pow­er nor vertue to produce such effectes: or if they doe vse words, they are either such as haue no signification with vs, or else such as are superstitiously abused out of the Scripture, and mumbled vp after a strange and ridiculous manner; beeing for the most part not vnder­stood of them that vse them, nor anie wayes employed to that end, to which God hath ordained & appointed them; whereas our blessed Sauiour in dooing this great worke vpon the Leper, vseth [Page 87]not onely his hand in touching him, as a most fit instrumēt to heale him with­all (there beeing such vertue and pow­er therein, by reason of the fulnesse of the God-head, Col. 2. which did dwell bodily in him) but also his tong & his speech too, vttered after an expresse and a sig­nificant manner, declating his will and his pleasure to haue the thing done, and not voyde of vertue and power also for the effecting and performing of it. With whome wee may also ioyne our Romish Exorcists, who doe fable and boaste of diuers straunge woonders donne among them, viz. of diuers myracles that haue beene donne at the Sepulchers of Saints departed, of diuers images which haue wept, and swet, and spoken, and mooued from place to place, and of a verie strange one of late yeares; viz. of Garnets picture (who was not long before exe­cuted for treason) represented & seen in the length and bredth of a straw; a mira­cle certainly, much about the worth of [Page 88]a strawe; all which, of both sorts are lying wonders, both in regarde of the forme being but meere illusions and ve­rie legerdemaines, and in regard of the end of them beeing onely to deceiue, and to obscure the truth and the glorie of God. Remoueantur ista vel fig­menta men­daciū homi­num, vel por­tenta fallaciū spirituum. Aut enim nō sunt vera quae dicūtur, aut si haereti­corum aliqua mira facta sunt, mag is cauere debe­mus. Aug. de vnit. Eccles. cap. 16. Contra mi­rabiliarios istos cautum me fecit Do­minus meus dicens; In novissimis tē ­porib. &c. Aug. in Ioh. tr. 13. Concerning which, Saint Austen doth aduise vs not to gine any heed vnto them, but rather to refuse & to reiect them: for either sayth he, these wonders and miracles which they tell vs of are not true, or if they bee true we ought the rather to beware of them, because Christ hath forewarned vs that in the latter times there shall arise false Prophets, which shall do manie signes and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible, they should deceiue the verie Elect with them. I doe not deny but that there was great neede and vse of miracles in former times, when as the Church was first to bee planted, to the end that men might repent and be­leeue the Gospell; but now the doctrine of the Gospell beeing confirmed and [Page 89]the whole world beleeuing in it, there is no neede of miracles anie longer: for as Nazianzen sayes, Signa infidelib us, Nazian. in laudem Ba­silij.non fidelibus dantur, signes and mira­cles are not giuen for those that doe be­leeue; but for those that do not beleeue: neither would God haue them still to continew after that the Church is dis­persed ouer the whole world, Miracula in nostra tempo­ra durare per missa nō sunt ne animus semper visi­bilia quaere­ret, & eorum consuetudine frigesceret genus huma­num, quorum nouitate fla­grauit. Aug. de vera relig cap. 25. least see­king too much after visible things, wee should neglect those things which are inuisible, and grow colde in faith, by a dayly custome of them, whereas wee were inflamed before with the newnes and strangenesse of them. And there­fore all Exorcists and sorcerers, all im­postors and iugglers, all mirabiliarij, and workers of wonders may now put vp their pipes and hang vp their harpes vpon the willowes as they sit by the ri­uers of Babylon, and bee ashamed and blush at their owne follie and impietie; who to the end that they may with Si­mon Magus their master seeme to bee some great men able to doe great feats, [Page 90]delude the World with a deale of bag­gage and trumperie, and with a com­panie of ridiculous and apish toyes, as if they did worke wonders with them: wheras it is a thing impossible for them by such causes to produce such effectes (there being so great disparitie and dis­proportion betweene them) vnlesse it bee by a diabolicall operation, that worketh together with them. By whose power and helpe, I doe verely beleeue such things to bee wrought (if they be really and truely done) rather then by anie vertue or power in the causes and meanes, or by anie knowledge and skill in those impostours & coseners, which pretende and would at the least seem to doe them.

The third cause why our Sauiour v­seth his tongue in healing the Leper, was to shewe the exceeding great pow­er and vertue that is in his speech, and in his words, insomuch that when hee woulde haue gone to the Centurions house to haue healed his seruant, the [Page 91]Centurion desired only his word for the doing of it: Dic verbū tantùm,Mat. 8.9say but the word onely, and my seruant shall be whole. Concerning the vertue & pow­er of whose word, if we shall enter in­to a view and consideration, wee shall find it not like the words of other men, which are commonly vaine and idle; but full of waight and power, hauing as much vertue and efficacie in them as his workes haue. For as God spea­keth in his workes, Aug. ad Deogratias ep. 49 as Saint Austen sayes; so likewise, hee worketh in his speech, working as mightily by his wordes, as by his deedes. When our Sauiour Christ taught & preached vn­to the people, they were al amazed and wondred at the gracious wordes that came from him. Luke 4. Luke 4.22 When he dis­puted with the Sadduces and the Phari­ses, hee put them all to silence with his words, so as they durst not meddle any more with him. Mat. 22. Mat. 22.46 When the officers wersent to lay hold on him they were so moued with his words, that they [Page 92]had not the power to lay hands on him, saying, to those that sent them: Nemo sicut hic locutus est; Ioh. 7.46neuer any man spake as this man doth. Ioh. 7. Againe, be­ing sent the second time, to apprehend him, he doth but say, Ego sum, I am he, and they went backward and fell to the ground presently. Ioh. 18.5 Ioh. 18. The pow­er and efficacie of whose words is such, and so great, that it produceth most strange and wonderfull effectes in the hearts of men. But as the Sunne hath a seuerall operation in seuerall subiects, hardning clay, and softning waxe; so the word of Christ hath one operation in the harts of the wicked, and an other in the harts of the godly. For the wic­ked it doth greatly trouble and astonish them, Dan. 5 as it did Belshazzar, Dan. 5. It humbleth and bringeth them downe, as it did Achab. 1. King. 21 1. King. 21. It maketh them to feare and tremble, as it did Fe­lix. Act. 24 Act. 5 Act. 24. Yea, it striketh them dead, as it did Ananias, and Saphira. Acts 5. For the godly it quickneth & giueth life [Page 93]vnto them. Ioh. 6 The words which I speake saith Christ, are spirit and life. Ioh. 6. It giueth light & knowledge vnto them: Thy Word, sayth DAVID, is a lanterne vnto my feet, and a light vnto my steps. Psalm. 119.Psal. 119. It mollifieth & softneth their hearts, he sendeth forth his word sayth the Prophet, and melteth them. Psalm. Psalm. 147 147. It sanctifieth and maketh them pure and holy, Now are you clean, saith Christ, by the word which I haue spo­ken vnto you. Ioh. 15. Ioa. 15.3 It feedeth and nourisheth the soule; Man shall not liue by bread only, sayth Christ, but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, Mat. 4. It resisteth, Mat. 4.4 and defen­deth vs against our enemies, Put on the whole armour of God, saith the Apostle, and among the rest, take the sworde of the spirit, which is the word of God, that yee may be able to resist, and to stand in the euill day, Ephes. 6. Eph. 6.16 Where if wee happen to be wounded sometimes, hee sendeth forth his word again, and hea­leth vs; fulfilling that in vs that the Cen­turion [Page 94]sayd: Dic verbum tantùm, & sa­nabitur, do but speake the word only & my seruant shall be made whole. Mat. 8 Lactantius speaking of the efficacy and power of Gods word, Lactaut. de falsa sapien. cap. 26 maketh as it were a challenge in the praise of it. Giue me (saith he) a man that is full of wrath and reuenge: with the word of God, I will make him as meeke and as gentle as a lamb; giue me one that is couetous & griping: with the word of God I will make him, liberall and bountifull, gi­uing his mony with a ful hand; giue me one that is timorous and fearefull of death, and of euerie danger: with the word of God I will make him bolde and hardie and to con [...]emne Phalaris his bull and all kind of torments; giue mee one that is giuen to lust and plea­sure and to incontinencie: with the word of God, I will make him as sober, chaste, and continent as a pure Virgin. Such is the power of the diuine wise­dome, that it will presently driue awaie all folly, the mother of all wickednesse; [Page 95] vno lauacro omnis malitia abolebitur, with one lauer of Gods word, al wicked­nes wil be washed away. A thing which Philosophers could never do with their wisdom: who although they haue spent al their life in the study of it, they could neuer make themselues nor others the better, if nature withstood never so lit­tle; the most that it could do was, Sapientia co­rum vt pluri­mum efficiat non exscindit vitia sed ob­scondit. Lact. ibid. that it did somwhat restraine their wickedness and couer it, but it did not altogether correct and reforme it. If you desire to haue an instance hereof in some exam­ple; doe but examine thy self how thou art affected in thy soule, when thou hea­rest one of Dauids psalms, & how when thou hearest one of the diuells songs; how when thou art in the Church hea­ring of a Sermon, and how in a Thea­ter, or Play-house hearing of a plaie; and thou shalt easily see what great dif­ference there is, though there bee but one soule, in the diuers motions, affec­tions and dispositions of it: that it may manifestly and most euidently appeare [Page 96]hereby to men of the least vnderstan­ding, in what price and estimation wee ought to haue this word, and with how much reuerence we are to entertaine it, whenas there is such power, vertue, & efficacie in it; being like vnto that Man­na which God did feed his people with­all in the wilderness, Mannae haec fuit natura, saporem sui pro desiderio rescentium submini­strans. Chry­sost. in hom. Quod nemo laeditur nisi [...] se. Psal. 51 whose nature was, as Chrysostome sayes, to taste and relish according to the appetite and desire of euerie one that did eate of it. If we be sorrowfull, and grone vnder the bur­then of our sinnes, it comforts vs, say­ing: A sorrowfull spirit is a sacrifice to God. Psalm. 51. If wee reioice and be merry in our prosperity, it increaseth our ioy and saies, Reioyce in the Lord, O ye righteous, for it becommeth vpright men to be thankefull. Psal. 33.1Psal. 33. If we be in want and pouertie it comforteth vs, saying; the Lord rayseth the poore out of the dust, and lifteth vp the needie out of the dunghill. Psal. 113Psal. 113. If wee be sicke and weake it giueth vs a medi­cine and a salue to heale vs withall, The [Page 97]Lord forgiueth all thy sinnes, & healeth all thine infirmities. Ps. 103. Thus doth the Manna of Gods word sauour and relish in our hearts whatsoeuer wee our selues do desire; so as hauing this, wee haue no cause to be ouer-carefull of a­nie thing else; being like vnto the gar­den of Paradise. Gen. 2. where there was euery tree pleasant to the sight, and good fot meat, and a pleasant riuer di­uided into foure heads to water the gar­den, and all things which could be wi­shed or desired for delight and comfort. And therefore let vs take heed how we doe neglect and despise the word; for­asmuch as it is not only a leprosy of the soule as S. Ambrose sayes (if the physick of the leprosie be the word, Si leprae me­dicinaverbū, contemptus vti (que) verbi lepra mentis est. Ambr. in 5. Luc. Dei non au­dire verbum fames animae Chrys. hom. 2 in Mat. then the le­prosie of the soule is the contempt of it) but also the dearth and famine of the soule, as Chrysostome sayes (not to heare the word of God, is to famish & starue the soule) which God threatneth as a most fearefull iudgement worse then a famin of bread. Amos 8. though [Page 98]Atheists & wicked worldlings, do not greatly regard nor care for it, in draw­ing it voluntarily and willingly vpon themselues.

Thus haue you heard why our Saui­our Christ vseth his hand and his tong in healing this Leper: now the wordes which he speaketh are these: Volo, mun­dare, I wil be thou clean. Which as you see, are sutable and agreeable to the words of the Leper; that as the Leper saith vnto Christ; Si vis potes mundare me, if thou wilt thou canst make mee cleane; so Christ sayth vnto him, Volo, mundare, I will be thou cleane: Wher­in there is a manifest declaration or de­monstration of Christs mercie and of his goodnesse towards the Leper; first in his willingnesse and readinesse to heal him, answering Si vis, if thou wilt, with Volo, I will; secondly, in his actu­all operation and performance of it, an­swering potes mūdare, thou canst make me cleane, with an imperatiue mundare, I command be thou cleane.

[Page 99]For the first; such is Christs mercie and goodnesse towards vs, in being wil­ling and ready to help vs; that wee can no sooner desire it of him, but he is wil­ling presently to vouchsafe and grant it vnto vs: Like as hee doth to the Leper here, who no sooner sayd vnto Christ, Si vis potes, if thou wilt thou canst; but Christ presently stretcheth out his hand, and sayth, Volo, mundare; I will, be thou cleane. Yea he is not only rea­die to helpe vs when we desire it of him as Mat. 7. Aske and you shall haue, Mat. 7.7seeke and you shall finde, knocke and it shall bee opened vnto you; but manie times before wee craue helpe of him, Esay, 65.24 he is ready to send help vnto vs; as Esay 65. Antequam clament exaudiam eos, before that they crie I will heare them. For as there is the grace of God which followeth vs all the dayes of our life. Ps. Psal. 23.6 23: So there is the grace of God which preuenteth vs, giuing vs manie things, which either we know not how to ask or dare not presume to aske of him. In [Page 100]the fift of Iohn, Ioh. 5.6 our Sauiour CHRIST seeing a creeple, that was diseased and had layen at the poole of Beshesda thir­tie eight yeares, wayting for the moo­uing of the water; but yet still euer­more one or other stept in before him; dooth not staie vntill the poore man comes vnto him, and desireth him to heale him: but he comes, and offereth health vnto him, saying, Visne sa [...]ari? Wilt thou be made whole? Math. 8.7 In the 8. of S. Mathew the Centurion comes vnto Christ, and desireth but his word only for the healing of his seruant; Dic ver­bum tantùm & sanabitur, Doe but say the word and my seruant shall be healed; and our Sauiour Christ offereth to goe to his house and there to heale him: E­go veniam, & curabo eum, I wil come and heale him. Like as God dealt with Salomon, who desired onely wisedom of him, 1. King 3 and God gaue him not one lie wisdome, but riches and honour also. In deede I confess that God many times doth not giue vs such things as wee de­sire [Page 101]of him; or if he does, he dooth not presently grant them vnto vs; yet not because hee is vnwilling to giue them vnto vs: but either because hee seeth them not to be good for vs, whose man­ner is to heare vs, non ad voluntatem, sed ad sanitatem, as S. Austen saies, Augustine. not for our pleasure, but for our profit; or else because he seeth it to be neither ne­cessarie nor expedient to giue them so soone vnto vs; whose manner it is som­times to delaie vs and to holde vs off a while, Chrysost. hoin 10. in Mat. not with a purpose to differre his gifts on his part, as Chrysostome sayth; but to make vs more instant and earnest in praying vnto him: who happely if wee were presently made partakers of those things wee desire; eyther wee would bee gone from God, and not pray any more vnto him; or else set a very lowe price vpon those things that are so soone and so easily obtained of him.

But otherwise, when that is good for vs, which wee pray for; and when [Page 102]there is a present necessity of receiving, without any especiall regarde which God hath vnto those foresaid ends; then wee may vndoubtedly hope for one of these two at the hands of God (saith S. Bernard) that eyther hee will giue vs that which wee doe desire, Aut dabit quod petimus aut quod no­uerit esse v­tilius. Bern. in quadr. ser. 5. 2. Cor. 12.8 or else hee will giue vs that which is more profita­ble vnto vs; as hee did to Saint Paul in denying him that which hee prayed for; but yet giuing his grace vnto him, saying: Sufficit tibi gratia mea, My grace is sufficient for thee. 2. Corin. 12.

But perhaps you will say, If God be so ready and willing to shewe mercie, why then doth he not shew mercy vn­to all, but vnto some onely? To which I answere with S. Austen, that as all the waies of God are mercy and truth, Psal. Psaim. 25.9. 25. in regard whereof the Prophet Dauid saith: I will sing mercy and iudge­ment to thee O Lord.Psal. 101.1.Psal. 101: So ac­cording to these two, (sayth the same Father) he hath diuided all mankind in­to [Page 103]two societies, as it were into two Ci­ties; the one to be ioined to the wick­ed Angells in punishment; Aug. de Ciu. Dei. lib. 12. cap. 27. the other to be ioined to the good Angells in re­warde and blessednesse; in the one to demonstrate what his grace and mercy is able to doe; Aug. de Ciu. Dei. lib. 21. cap. 12 in the other to manifest what his iustice and seuerity is able to doe. For, if all should remaine in the state of damnation; then the mercie and goodnesse of Christ should not appeare in any: on the other side, if all should be translated from darkness vn­to light; then the iustice and seuerity of gods punishment should not appeare in any. Againe, if God should haue sa­ued none; Si vtri (que) li­berarentur, lateret quid peccato per iustitiam de­beatur: si ne­mo, quid gra­tia largiretur Aug. Sixto presb. ep. 105 it should not haue beene knowne, what was bestowed in mercie vpon vs; and if he should haue saued all, it should not haue been knowen what was dew in iustice vnto vs. Therefore doth God so make a demonstration of his mercie, that withall he maketh a re­seruation of his iustice; being good in rewarding some, and iust in punishing [Page 104]others: Yea; good in all, euen in those that are punished; because it is good when that which is due, is giuen to eue­ry one: and iust also in all; euen in those that are saued; because it is iust when­as that which is due is remitted without iniury vnto anie.

This is for the declaration of Christs goodness vnto the Leper in his willing­nesse and readiness to heale him, in say­ing, Volo, I will: the next is in his actuall performance of it, in saying, mundare be thou cleane. Where it is worth the obseruation, that hee doth not say volo mundare in the infinitiue, I will heale thee; as if he did only promise to heale him; but he sayth, volo, mundare, with a comma, in the imperatiue; I will, be thou cleane; performing that which he pro­mised vnto him. Wherein two things are verie remarkable in Christ; first that hee performeth that which he promi­seth, adding to Volo, I will, which is a word of promise: mundare, bee thou clean, which is a word of performance; [Page 105]secondly, that hee is not onely able to doe; but also actually and really, doth whatsoeuer hee is willing to haue done; ioining, with volo, mundare; his will, and his deede together.

For the former which is the perfor­mance of his promise, Christ is not like to the mans son in the Gospel; Mat. 21.30 who whē as his Father said vnto him, Son go work to day in my vineyard, answered, I will Sir, but yet he did not. Mat. 21. but he is as the onely begotten sonne of the Fa­ther, full of grace and truth: Iohn. 1. Ioh. 1.14 Yea not onely full of truth, but truth it selfe. Ioh. 14. of whome S. Ioh. 14.6 Austen sayth: Promissa tua sunt Deus, & quis falli timeat cùm promittit veritas, August. Con­fess. lib. 12. cap. 1 it is thou O God that doost promise, and who needeth to feare to bee deceiued, when as the truth it selfe promiseth: whose promises are, yea and Amen, 2. Cor. 1.20 most sure and infallible. Therefore may we safely repose our selues in his promi­ses; Mat. 5 because heauen and earth shall pass before one iotte or tittle of his Word [Page 106]shall faile: and withall we may learne of him to be trew in our promises; Aug. de. Tem ser. 127. because as Saint Austen sayes; Non in promis­sione, sed in consūmatione virtus est, Vertue doth not consist in promise, but in performance. A good man is like vn­to a tree, sayth Dauid, that is planted by the water side, Psal. 1.3 in which there is both fruite and leaues; that is, wordes, and deeds. Of the fruite, that is, his deeds, it is sayde that it bringeth forth fruite in due season; of the leaues, that is, his words, it is sayde that his leafe doth not fade nor wither; Aug. in Psa. 1 that is, saith Austen, Verbum eius non erit irritum, his word and his promise doth neuer faile; of the truth whereof Saint Ierome saith, Tantus in te sit veri amor, vt quicquid dixeris, iura­tum putes. Hier. ad Ce­lantiam. There ought to bee that loue and desire in vs, that whatsoeuer we say, we should make account that wee had sworne before to performe it.

For the other, viz. that he doth re­ally and actually accomplish whatsoe­uer hee will haue done: it appeareth plainly by the question that Balam as­keth. [Page 107]Numb. 23. Numquid ipse dicit, Nū. 23.19& non facit? hath he sayd, and shall hee not doe it? and hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it? It is a most sure and vndoubted truth, that the will of God is alwaies fulfilled: for God him­selfe hath sayd it, Esay. 46.10 Consilium meum sta­bit, & voluntas mea fiet, My counsell shall stand, and my wil shal be done. Esa. 46. there beeing none able to resist or to hinder it. Therefore S. Paul speaking of the counsel and wil of God, by which hee hath predestinated vs, ioineth his actuall operation and working with it; saying, Ephes. 1.11 that Wee are chosen in Christ ac­cording to the purpose of him which worketh all things, after the counsell of his owne will. Ephes. 1. Which are so neerely vnited and combined in God, that as Dauid sayth, Psal. 135.6. What soeuer it plea­sed the LORD that did hee, both in heauen, in earth, and in all places. Quaedam de­creuit Deus facere, quaedā permittere. Aug. Wherein is to bee seene the certaintie and stabilitie of Gods decree concer­ning election and reprobation; and of [Page 108]all other things that are wrought by God as authour: which is not contin­gent or changeable, Firmissimè tene, omnes quos vasa misericordiae fecit non pe­ [...]ir [...] posse; nee quenquam e­orum quos nō praedestinauit ad vitā, vllae ratione pos­se saluari. Aug. de fide ad Petrum. cap. 35. Rom. 11.29 depending vpon the will of men; but immutable and inuiolable, depending vppon the will and counsell of God, which is alwaies fulfilled and accomplished: insomuch that those whom God hath predestina­ted, cannot possiblie perish, as Austen sayes; and contrariwise those whome God hath reiected cannot possibly bee saued. It is the saying of the Apostle, Rom. 11.29. that the giftes and cal­ling of God are without repentance, and that with him there is no variablenesse nor shadow of change. Iam 1.16 Iam. 1. Our Saui­or Christ maketh it a matter impossible that any of Gods elect should perish [...] There shall arise (saith he) many false Christs and false prophets, who shall doe many signes and miracles, that they shall deceiue the very elect (if it were possible) Mat. 24. Mat. 24.24 Ioh. 10.28 of whom he saith Ioh. 10, that he giues vnto them eternal life, & that they shall not perish, neither shall anie [Page 109]take them out of his hands. The ground whereof is the certainty and stabilitie of Gods foreknowledge and decree. 2. Tim. 2. 2. Tim. 2.19 The foundation of the Lord remaineth sure & hath this seale, The Lord knoweth who are his. Indeed if e­lection and reprobation, were in men, they might easily be changed; because men are often times changed (for what is more mutable, and more vnconstant then man?) but because it is not in man but in God, who is immutable as him­selfe sayth, Mal. 3. Ego Iehouah, Mal. 3 6et non mutor, I am the Lord, and I change not: Therfore his decree & counsell both of election, and reprobation, and of all the other workes of God, are immutable and vnchangeable; beeing fulfilled and acomplished according to the decree and purpose of his will. Otherwise his fore-knowleege must bee made voyde, his power weakned, and his will chan­ged: which to affirme of God were most impious and blasphemous. For he that changeth his counsell or his will [Page 110]doth it either because he seeth that he might haue taken better aduise; or els because hee seeth that hee could not haue brought his purpose to passe as he would; both which doe argue im­potency and weaknesse; and therfore are farre from God, and greately ab­horring from the nature of him. Last­ly, if the decree concerning predesti­nation may be changed, the certainty of our saluation is taken away, where­by the confidence of our faith and the full assurance of our hope is vtterly o­uerthrowne; which is the greatest stay and comfort that a Christian hath here in this life. Therfore most sure it is, that the decree of election and reprobati­on is not changed nor altered, by the faith or infidelity of men (as if some were predestinated to saluation, but by reason of sinne afterward, they vtterly fall away, and lose their former es­tate and become damned) forasmuch as those whome God predestinateth to the end, hee predestinateth also to [Page 111]the infallible meanes and wayes which doe direct vs, and bring vs vnto the end; by giuing especiall grace and sauing faith, and all other necessarie vertues to those whom he hath chosen (which they doe infallibly vse, and by the vse thereof attaine vnto saluation) and contrariwise, denying the like measure of grace vnto those that hee hath reiec­ted; whereupon consequently though not causally insueth damnation. And yet notwithstanding God herein dooth not iniustice or iniurie vnto either: be­cause if he damned al, being in the mass of corruption, Rom. 5.18 hee were not vniust in doing so: therefore, if hee chooseth some, and refuseth others; Aug. de bo­no perseu. qui libera­tur, habet vnde gratias agat: qui dam­natur, non habet quod reprehendat, sayth, Saint Austen; hee which is cho­sen and saued hath cause to giue thanks to God for it: and contrariwise, hee that is reiected and damned hath no cause to complaine or to finde faulte with God for it. Si in remittendo debi­tum [Page 112]bonitas,August. ibid.in exigendo aequitas, nus­quam apud Deum inuenitur iniquitas, if in remitting of debt there be mercie, in requiring it there bee equity, then there is no wayes found with God anie kind of iniquitie; to the one he sheweth mercie, to the other hee doth not anie iniurie: of the one he may rightly say, as the householder doth, Mat. 20 Volo huic no­uissimo dare sicut tibi, I will giue vnto the last as vnto the first; of the other he may iustly say, tolle quod tuum est, & vade, friend I doe thee no wrong, take that which is thine owne and goe thy way.

Thus do you see the meanes and the manner of Christs healing the Leper, both with his hand & with his tongue; with his hand in stretching it forth and touching him: with his tongue in saying, Volo, Mundare, I will, be thou cleane: so that now there seems nothing to remaine but to consider the effecte that followed & insued hereupon. But as Christ when he had wrought a great [Page 113]miracle in feeding 5000. men with fiue loaues and two fishes, Ioh. 6.12 he commanded the Disciples to gather vp the broken meate; that nothing might bee lost; so allso in this miracle, there are as it were certaine fragments of heauenly myste­ries, which in no case we ought to suffer to be cast away or to be lost. Sicut huma­na consuetu­do verbis, ita diuina poten­tia etiā fac­tis loquitur, &c. Aug ad Deogratias epist. 49. For as it is the fashion and custome of men to speake by words; so it is the manner of God to speak by his works also. And as strange & new words being in a mode­rate and decent manner sprinkled vpon our speech do giue a kind of grace vnto it; so, great and strange workes done by God, hauing an apt and a fit significati­on in them, do make the speech & elo­quence of God to seeme a great deale more gracious. And therefore consi­der once againe the meanes and man­ner of Christs healing the Leper, & you shal find diuers and sundry mysteries in the doing of it. As first, hee vseth his hand and toucheth the Leper, to shew the inestimable power & vertue of his [Page 114]humane nature, Heb. 10.12 by the immolation & offering whereof hee hath obtained re­demption and saluation for vs; he vseth his tongue & speaketh withall, to shew that his corporall presence is not so ne­cessary, Ioh. 14.16 but that he is able to do al things by his word & by his spirit, that are ne­cessary for the saluation of vs. Againe, hee vseth his hand and toucheth the Le­per, for the Iewes which then looked on him and beheld him, and by seeing beleeued in him; Gentes non videndo sed audiendo cre­diderunt. August. de Temp. ser. 74 Psal. 18.43 hee vseth his tongue and speaketh for the Gentiles, which did not see but heare, and by hearing beleeued in him, according to that which God sayth, Psalm. 18.43. A people whome I haue not knowen (that is as Austen doth interpret, to whome I haue not shewed my presence) shall serue me: which was by hearing only or him, as it followeth in the Psalme, as soone as they heare, they shall obaie [...] mee. Lastly, hee stretcheth out his hand and toucheth the Leper: to shew the realitie and truth of his humanitie, [Page 115]hee speaketh and sayth, Volo, mundare, I will, be thou cleane; to shewe the re­alitie, and truth of his diuinitie, more particularly hee sayth, Volo, I will, a­gainst Photinus the heretick; he sayth, mundare, be thou cleane, against Ar­rius the hereticke; and extendens teti­git, hee stretcheth out his hand, and toucheth him, against Manicheus the hereticke. As if hee should say, where is hee that denyeth the truth of my hu­mane nature, as if my body were a fan­tasticall, not a true and a naturall body? why, behold my hand, and marke how I stretch it out, and doe touch this Le­per with it; there is for Manicheus the hereticke: Where is hee that denyeth the truth of my heauenly will, as if my will were not one and the same with the will of GOD the Father? why marke and consider well what I say; Vo­lo, I will; not onely as I am man but also as I am God, that this Leper bee healed presenly; there is for Photi­ [...]us the hereticke: Where is hee that [Page 116]denyeth the truth of my diuine power, as if my power were not equall to the power of God the Father; why marke farther what I say, mundare, bee thou cleane: that is, I doe not onely will, but command by mine owne proper pow­er and authoritie that the leprosie bee packing, and this Leper be made clean; there is for Arrius the heretick. Thus doth our Sauiour Christ heale him af­ter a most perfect and an exact manner both by the operation of his humanity in touching, and by the operation of his diuinitie, in saying; Volo, mundare, I will be thou cleane: and this is the or­der and manner of Christs healing of him.

The next thing wee are to speake of is the effect and cure that insued heere­upon; for the Euangelist sayth, that af­ter this, immediatly his leprosie depar­ted from him. If wee consider the dis­ease of the Leper; it was verie sore vp­on him: for, Saint Luke sayth, that he was a man ful of Leprosie; Luke 5.12 if the means [Page 117]of curing, it seems to be very weak; for he does but touch him, and speak only vnto him: and yet though the disease be great and the meanes small, the cure is most perfect and admirable too; for af­ter this, immediately his leprosie was cleansed. The Philosopher holds it for a maxime and a rule, that Propter no­strum dicere & velle, nihil in remuta­tur; that our will and our word is not able to doe anie great matter. As for example, if a man be naked and readie to starue for want of meate, and one should say very charitably vnto him: my good friend, I would wish thee to put on some warme cloathes and pro­uide thee some good meate, and yet not supply his want with either of them what think you of this? Is his body the warmer or his belly the fuller, for these fayre words? I suppose not; vnlesse a man were as able to liue vpō the breath of a mans mouth, as the Chameleon is to liue vpon the breath of the ayre. Or to come yet a little neerer to the pur­pose, [Page 118]if a Physician should come vnto me being sick, and take me by the hand, and feele my pulse, and say very cheer­fully vnto me, Sir be of good comfort, there is no daunger at all; I will heale you, I warrant you, ministring no phy­sicke at all vnto me; surely these are ve­ry good words, but what? am I healed any whit the sooner for all this? I sup­pose not. And yet notwithstanding, marke I pray you: Christ heere dooth but touch the Leper, and speake two words only, Volo, I will, and mundare, be thou cleane, and the leprosie present­ly departeth from him. Wherein ob­serue if it shall please you, the wonder­full surpassing power of Christ, who is able to doe so great works, by so weake and slender meanes, euen by the touch of his hand, and by the word of his mouth only, for he doth but touch him with his hand, and say, Volo, mundere, I will, be thou cleane, and the leprosie departeth away from him. But what is not he able to do, either by smal means, [Page 119]or without meanes, Voluntas eius Potestas eius Amb. in 5. Luc. Psal. 18. whose will is his power, as Ambrose saith, and to whom, to say, and to do, are both alike? who if he does but touch the mountaines they are ready to smoke, if hee does but speake and rebuke the sea, Mat. 8 both winde and sea are readie to obaie him. Looke into the first creation of the world, and you shall finde with what great facility. God created all things, euen by his will and by his word only. God did but say, Gen. [...] Let there be light, and there was a light presently; God did but say, let there be a firmament, and there was a firmament presently: and so for all the rest of Gods workes, dixit & facta sunt, hee spake the word, and they were all made; In­somuch, that the Centuriō when he de­sired Christ to heal his seruant that was sicke of the palsie, hee doth not desire him to take the pains to come vnto his house, nor to vse any great meanes for the doing of it; but, Dic verbū tantùm,Mat. 8.speake the word onely, and my seruant shall be whole. So then, it is not in anie [Page 120]strength and vertue of the meanes, but in the might and power of Gods will, whereby hee worketh euen his greatest works of all, who sometimes worketh without meanes as he did in the creati­on of the world, where hee neither vsed workmen, nor tooles, nor engines, nor instruments, Cic. lib. 2. de Nat. deorum as the Epicure in Tullie fondly imagined, that God of necessity must do, Docet sine lingua, prae­bet sine mani­bus, currit & succurrit sine pedibus. Ber. in Cant. ser. 6 if the world were created. For as Bernard doth most elegantly express the manner of Gods working in an o­ther case, God dooth teache vs and admonish vs without a tongue; he doth vpholde vs and giue liberally vnto vs, without hands; hee doth come vnto vs and helpe vs without any feete. Yea, sometimes also hee worketh against meanes: Ioh. 9. as in restoring sight to the blind man, by annointing his eyes with claie, which was a means rather to de­priue a man of his sight, then to giue sight vnto him: and when hee doth vse any meanes at all, commonly they are very weak and slender euen in the grea­test [Page 121]works that he doth; as in doing ma­ny strange miracles by Moses his rodde. Exod. 4. Exod. 4. In ouerthrowing the walles of Iericho with trumpets of Rams horns. Ios. 6. Ios. 6 In discomfiting the Midianites with lampes and pitchers. Iudges 7. Iudges 7 in skattering the hoast of the Amorites with a terrour Panicus, or a supposed noise of Chariots and Horse-men. 2. Kings. 7. 2. Kings 7 and that which is one of the greatest miracles of all, in conuerting and sauing the whole world, by a fewe simple and vnlearned fishermen, who beeing sent by Christ to the sea of this world, as Nazianzene sayes, Nazianz. in sanct. Pente­cost. hauing neither skil in grammer, nor knowledge in rhetorick, nor vnderstanding in lo­gicke, and other liberall arts and scien­ces, with the nets of the Gospel and of the faith which they preached, caught after a most admirable manner a multi­tude of fishes of all sorts of people.

If anie shall aske now why God v­seth meanes, being as well able to work without them as with them, or vsing [Page 122]meanes, and not rather goodly and glo­rious means; I answere with Aquinas the father of the Schoolemen that hee doth both these not without a most wise reason and consideration. Aquin part. 1. quaest. 23. art. 8. First hee v­seth some means, viz. the ministerie of his creatures with the seueral powers & operations thereof, to keepe a decent and a comely order in things, making as it were a scries or a concatenation of causes linked and fowlded one with in an other as in a golden chain, where euery link hangeth vpon an other, wherein all the subordinate and secondarie causes depend vpon the first & primary cause; and that sendeth his influence into the secondary causes, giuing them power and ability to worke & to effect seuerall things withall. As for example; God promising to shewe his mercy & to be­stow his blessing vpon Israel his people, he doth it by no less then three or foure secondary & subordinate causes, hang­ing one vpon an other, and all of them depending vpon the first and primarie [Page 123]cause of all, which is himselfe, saying, I will heare the heauens, Ose 2.15and they shall heare the earth, and the earth shal heare the corne, the wine and the oyle, and they shall heare Israel; that is, he himselfe gi­ueth vertue and power to the heauens; the heauens send their influēce vnto the earth, the earth giueth norishmēt to the corn, wine, & oyle; and the corn, wine, and oyle, giue their strength and vertue vnto vs; & all this God doth, being able to haue done it otherwise, to maintain a decent and a comly order in the world.

Secondly, hee dooth it as the same Doctor saith, to honour his creatures in vouchsafing to make them coworkers with himselfe; that as he is the first and principall Agent in euery thing; so the creatures worke together with him as meanes and instruments to performe the will of the first agent: not that God hath anie neede of them for the effec­ting of his workes; but to vouchsafe an honour vnto them, it being altoge­ther a matter of dignation and not of [Page 124]necessity. Thus we read that although God had promised Iacob to preserue him, Gen. 28.15 and to defend him saying; Lo, I am with thee, & wil keep thee whither­soeuer thou goest, Gen. 28. Yet when it was told him, that his brother Esau cam towardes him, to meete him with 400. men, Gen. 32 hee does not lay all vpon God; but he himselfe also falls to worke, and prouideth as wel as he can for the time, to defende both him and his from vio­lence, by diuiding the people that was with him into two companies, & com­manding some to go before and others to follow after, that if the first compa­ny were assaulted, the second might re­scue and ayde them, Iosephus An­ti. lib. 1 cap. 19. as Iosephus discour­seth vpon the story; by which example hee would giue vs to vnderstand sayth Austen, August. in quaest. super Gen. quaest. 102. writing vpon the same scrip­ture, that although wee ought to looke for helpe of God as the first and princi­pall worker that worketh all in all, yet notwithstanding as coworkers to la­bour and worke together with God, in [Page 125]doing such things as men ought to doe for their owne preseruation and safety; least otherwise wee incurre that iust re­proofe of those idle loyterers, quid sta­tis hic tota die otiosi,Mat. 20.Why stand ye heare all the day idle? The like wee reade of Pauls dangerous voiage, & of the com­panie that sayled with him vnto Rome; to whom though God had promised safety by a speciall reuelation saying, Feare not Paul, for thou must appeare before Caesar, and God hath giuen vn­to thee all that saile with thee; Act. 27.31. yet not­withstanding when hee saw the ship in danger, & the marriners who were to gouern the ship ready to depart out of it, hee doth not hold his peace, but begins to bestir himselfe, and tel them plainely that vnlesse those men abide in the ship they cannot be safe: so that al­though hee knew that none of them should perish, yet he knew withal that the way to escape the daunger, was not to lay all vpon God, but to labour with God and to gouerne the ship; which [Page 126]otherwise was like to perish with all the companie that was in it.

The consideration wherof doth iust­ly reproue and condemne the extreame folly and presumption of diuers, who like vnto the Scribes, and Pharises, that would laie heauie burdens vpon other mens shoulders, Mat. 23.4 & not touch thē with one of their own fingers, will lay all vp­on God to worke his owne will, while they themselues do loyter, and are alto­gether idle; dealing herein as the diuel dealt with Christ, who hauing set him vpon the pinnacle of the Temple goes about to perswade him to cast himselfe down headlong, Math. 4 because God had gi­uen his Angells charge ouer him: lea­uing out most subtilly and cunningly, that which Christ was to do on his own part; Numquid in praecipitijs? qualis est haec via? Non est haec via sed ruina: et si via, tua est nō illius. Bern. in psa. Qui hab. sor. 14 which was, not to cast himselfe downe, but to come downe the right waie, as it followeth in the text; and they shall keepe thee in all thy wayes; not in the diuells downe falls, saies Ber­nard, but in his owne wayes: Now [Page 127]what manner of way call you this, for a man to cast himselfe downe from the top of a pinnacle? this is no way but a a downefall; or if it be a waie it is the diuells waie not Christs waie: and ther­fore he refuseth it, giuing no eare at all to his perswasion. Which notwithstan­ding is a great fault, wherein diuers doe offend both in diuers maners and in di­uers cases: which I purpose to specifie in three especially.

The first is a spirituall case in the mat­ter of our saluation: wherein there are many that doe rely so much vppon the first and chiefe cause thereof which is Gods eternall and immutable decree of predestination, that they do altogether neglect the secondary causes and the subordinate meanes thereof; which is an effectuall vocation by the preaching of the word, and the inward working of the spirit, and an effectual iustificati­on by a true and a liuely faith, with the fruits of a holy and godly conuersation; vsing a most diuelish speech, inuented [Page 128]at the first by no other then the diuell himselfe in saying, if God hath prede­stinated me to saluation, let mee liue as I will, I am sure to he saued, because his predestination is immutable; on the o­ther side, if God hath ordained mee to reprobation or damnation, howsoeuer I liue I am sure to be damned, because his decree cannot be altered. Dolosi vel im periti medi­ci est, vtile medicamen­tum sic alli­gare vt aut non prosit, aut obsit. Aug. de bono per­seuer. cap. 21 To whom I might answer as S. Austen somtimes did in the like case, to certaine men that did abuse the doctrine of predestination as these do, that it is the property either of a deceitful or of an vnskilfull physitiō so to apply an wholesome medicine, that eyther it shall do hurt or at the least no good; whenas these men that doe thus reason, ought to consider this with themselues, that whom God hath pre­destinated to saluation, hee hath also predestinated to the secondarie causes and meanes that doe bring vs vnto it; which is our effectuall vocation and iu­stification; as the Apostle sheweth in that golden chaine both of the first & [Page 129]second causes of saluation. Rom. 8. Rom. 8.30. Whom God hath predestinated hee hath called, whom he hath called he iustified; whom he iustified he hath glorified. So that in the matter of predestination we are not to reason a priori from the first and highest cause thereof, in saying, If I am predestinated I am sure to bee sa­ued, if not I am sure to be damned; but we are to reason a posteriori, from the lowest of the subordinate and second causes, to the first and highest cause of all, in reasoning thus; My faith and good workes doe shew that I am iustifi­ed; being iustified it shewes that I am called; beeing called, it shewes that I am elected; being elected it is most sure and certaine that I shall bee saued. O­therwise, to set all vpon Gods predesti­nation not looking to the second means which God hath ordained to com vnto it, what is this else, but as if a man that trauelles should thinke to come to the end of his iourney without stirring one foote, or vsing the waie that brings him [Page 130]to it? or as if a man should think to get vp to the top of a house without a paire of stayres, or a ladder to ascend withal? whereas in Iacobs sision there was a ladder that reached vp vnto heauen, Gen. 28.12 & the Angells of God ascended and de­scended by it; but as for these men they think to fly vp to heauen with the wings of predestination, without the staires or ladder of a faithfull and holy conuer­sation. I haue read of one Ludouicus an Italian, who neuer considering the order and the causes of our saluation, grew to that desperat conclusion which many Atheists and profane wretches in these daies seem to haue learned of him in hauing this speech commonly in his mouth, If I be predestinated I am sure to be saued, if not doe what I can, I am sure to bee damned; In which his wic­ked assertion he continued a long time, till at the length hee grew dangerously sicke; whereupon he sent for a learned and a cunning Physicion to request and to vse his help. The Physicion beeing [Page 131]made acquainted with his former lewd assertiō in his health time, how he wold vsually say, If I am saued I am saued; he likewise directed his speech to the same purpose, & said vnto him, Sir it shall be needlesse to minister any physicke vnto you or to vse meanes for your recoue­ry, neither do I purpose to take any such course; for if the time of your death be not com you have no cause to feare, you shall liue and do well enough without physick; & if the time of your death be now come, all the Physick in the world wil not help you, because it is impossible to auoid it. Ludouicus musing in his bed of the strange speech which the Physi­cion vsed, hauing cōsidered a while ad­uisedly of it, began to see his own folly & to find by reason, that as meanes was to be vsed for the health of the bodie; so God had also ordained meanes for the health of the soule: wherupō he reuersed his former opinion; took physick and so was cured both in his body, and soule at one time: which I wish were seriosly cō ­sidered [Page 132]of diuers irreligious and pro­fane beastes, who neglecting all the meanes of their saluation, by liuing a most wicked & a licentious kind of life, & venturing all their estate vpon Gods predestination, without regarde or re­spect of a holy conuersation, doe runne headlong to eternall destruction and damnation; whereas contrariwise, they and onely they, which vse the meanes of saluation, shall obtaine the ende of predestination, which is, eternall glori­fication.

The second case that I will pro­pound, is a temporall case in the pre­seruing and maintaining of this tempo­rall life: wherein there are many that do depend so much vpon Gods proui­dence, in sustayning and keeping them, that they doe altogether neglect the means and the second causes of it. Som in relying and resting so much vppon Gods prouidence which is the first and the principle cause, that they will vse no labour, nor take anie paines in anie [Page 133]honest vocation to get their liuing withall; like vnto certaine idle Monks, Augaretract. lib. 2. cap. 21 of whom S. Austen complayneth in his time: who liued so well vpon the almes and beneuolence of well disposed peo­ple, that they would not labour nor take the least paines for their liuing, saying, that they did heerein fulfill the precept of our Sauiour Christ, where he saith: Looke vpon the fowles of the ayre, Mat. 6and the Lillies of the fielde, they neither la­bour nor spin, nor sowe, nor reape, nor carry into the barnes, and yet God fee­deth them: Whereas, they should not regarde so much, what these senselesse and vnreasonable creatures do, as what sensible and reasonable creatures ought to doe; who are borne vnto labour, Iob. 7 as Iob sayth, God prouiding in the first be­ginning of all, that man should not be idle; Gen. 2 and therefore put him into the garden of Eden to dresse and to keepe it. God doth not feede vs ordinarily, as he did the Israelites miraculously, by rayning downe Manna from heauen, Exod. 1 [...] [Page 134]by sending quailes among vs, Num. 16. nor yet by Angells and Rauens which bring meat & drink vnto vs, 1. King. 17 as they did vnto Elias; but by labour and industry, Philo Iud. de sacr. Cain & Abel. which Philo calls the beginning of all vertue & hap­piness, without which no good nor ho­nest thing is to be found among men. For euen as the eye of the bodie is not able to see without light; so the eye of the soule is not able to see to do any ac­tion of vertue without the helpe of la­bour, as it were with the helpe of light. Look vpon Students, and Artists, who study the liberall arts & sciences; looke vpon husband men, artificers, & han­dicraftsmen, and such as get their liuing by any manner of means; you shall see that they doe not cease to labour with their hands and with their feete, & with all the strength both of their bodies and of their minds. It is the saying of a heathen man; that the gods do sell all things for labour. Verely our God is but one and hee doth not sell but giue, but yet he giues all things for labour, it [Page 135]beeing the roote as Philo sayes from whence all good things doe spring and growe. Philo ibid. For though God himselfe doth giue all things on his part without la­bour and difficulty; yet notwithstan­ding he will not haue any mortall crea­ture to obtain any thing without labour and industry, to the end that therby we might acknowledge and commend the eminent greatnesse and excellencie of God aboue the creatures. The labour of man is like vnto meate: for as the life is preserued and maintayned by meat; so both life and euery good thing is maintained by labour.

And therefore, as those that desire to preserue this naturall life, do not re­fuse to take nourishment; so they that desire to haue meate to preserue the life withall, or to haue anie good thing to preserue the soule withall, ought not to refuse labour, it beeing both to life and to vertue, and to euery thing else, as meate and nourishment is vnto the body.

[Page 136]There are others also that depende so much vpon Gods prouidence in pre­seruing them, that in a time of danger and sicknesse, as this is, they will not vse those meanes, which not only God, but euen nature & reason also doth di­rect them vnto for their defence, & pre­seruation, running headlong and des­perately into places that are infected; without any care and regarde eyther of themselues or of others: saying that in good earnest which the Physicion spake but by way of a taunt to Ludouicus the Italian, God hath set downe the terme of my life, and if my time bee come, do what I can, I can liue no longer then God hath appointed: and if it bee not come, let me goe whither I will, I shall liue as long as God hath determined; not considering withal, that Gods pro­uidence doth not take away the means and second causes of our preseruation, but rather setteth them in a decent or­der as certaine helpes and instruments to accomplish the same. When God [Page 137]made the lawe of the leprosie (a disease in regard of the contagion thereof, Leuit. 13 not vnlike vnto the pestilence) there was no question but that all shoulde liue out that time that God had appointed vnto them: and yet God to accomplish this by a secondarie meanes, hee prouideth withall that the Lepers should liue a part without the campe from the socie­tie and company of others, as a ne­cessarie and subordinate meanes to ef­fect the same. Esay 38 So also when God pro­mised Ezechias that he should recouer his sickness & liue fifteene yeares more; no question there was, but hee must needes liue so long, because God had decreede and promised it: yet notwith­standing hee prescribes him certaine meanes that he must vse for his recoue­ry, viz. to take a bunch of dryed figs, and to apply it vnto the byle, as a sub­ordinate meanes to accomplish his de­cree. For to lay all vpon the shoulders of Gods prouidence, and our selues not to stirre so much as the least of our fin­gers, [Page 138]in working together with his pro­uidence, what is this else but to tempt God, Si periculum quantum ca­nere possumus non cauemus, magis tenta­mus Deum quam spera­mus in Deo. Aug. de Ciu. dei. lib. 16 cap. 19. Zanchius in cap. 2. ep. ad Philip. as S. Austen sayes; if we be in any danger, and bee not carefull to decline and auoide it as much as we can, we do rather tempt God then put our trust in him. To this purpose it is worthy of obseruation, which that worthy and learned Zanchius, a singular ornament of Gods Church, reporteth vpon oc­casion of the pestilence that was verie rife among them, of a certaine confe­rence or disputation between him and a Minister of Curia, whether it were lawfull for a Minister to absent himselfe from those that were sicke of the plague and to flee from those places that were dangerously infected; the Minister of Curia, holding that it was not lawfull, and Zanchius on the other side holding that it was not vnlawfull, being done with such due regard as it ought to be, without dishonour vnto God, neglect of our duty, or fraude and iniurie vn­to the people committed vnto vs. Of [Page 139]which point they had reasoning so long both by word of mouth, & by Letters, till at the length the Minister of Curia by resorting daily to those that were sicke of the plague, was stricken him­selfe and fell sick of it. At which time seeing his error and ouersight, and the daunger into which hee had brought himselfe and his family, hee bewayled and cryed out to his wife, and children and to his friends about him; Oh vti­nam Zanchij consilium secutus essem! Oh that I had been ruled by Zanchius, who gaue me counsell so to haue care of those that were sicke; that withall, I shoulde haue a care of those that are sound, viz. of my selfe and of my fa­mily, & of the Church of God, whose future good and profit I ought to haue regarded, expecting a better opportu­nitie afterwarde. Which is a matter right wisely and Christianlie ordered by those that are in authoritie for the safetie and preseruation both of Mini­nisters and of al sorts of people; but that [Page 140]I know not how, eyther wee thinke our selues wiser and more charitable then they, or else (as it should seeme) not to stand bound in dutie to performe obe­dience to the lawes and orders of our superiours.

Thus doe you see why God vseth some meanes in his works that he doth: now we will shew why he vseth so small and weake meanes in dooing of them; which is not without as iust cause & reason as the other. First of all, that wee should not ascribe that vnto the means and to the secondarie cause which is due to the power and goodness of God that worketh all in all. For such is the corruption of our nature and the grosse conceit of our reason, that wee looke more to the meanes, then to God the Authour and finisher of all: although alas what is all the means in the world, vnlesse God worketh with them, and gi­ueth power and ability therunto. What is bread the ordinarie meanes to pre­serue life able to doe, vnlesse withall [Page 141]God giues the staffe of breade, which is a secret blessing and power to norish vs withal? what is all the labour and stu­die and paines we take, able to doe, vn­lesse God laie his hand to the worke and helpe vs through with it? If wee builde, yet, Psal. 127 vnlesse the Lord builde the house, they labour in vaine that builde it; if wee watch, yet, except the Lord keepe the Citie, the watchman watcheth but in vaine; if wee labour and take paynes, rising early and lying downe late, and eating the bread of carefulnes, yet vnless Gods blessing be with vs as it was with Iacob whither so euer he went, all our labour is lost and to no purpose: without this we may sowe much & reap little, we may eate and not be satisfied, Agg. 1.16 wee may weare cloathes and not bee warme, wee may earne wages and put them into a broken bagge, and bee ne­uer the better nor the richer for it. Habac. 1.16 Therefore we ought not to sacrifice vn­to our net, nor burne incense vnto our yarn, as the Prophet speaketh, ascribing [Page 142]all to the meanes of our prosperitie, but to ascribe all to the Authour of it, as Dauid and his people did, when they made an oblation to God for the buil­ding of the Temple, saying; Thine O Lord is greatness and power: for all that is in heauen and in earth is thine, both riches and honour come of thee, & thou raignnest ouer al: now therfore our God, we thanke thee and prayse thy glorious name: Quod dedit gratis tulit ingratis. Au. in Ioh. tr. 14 least otherwise giuing that to the creature which is due to the Creator; God take away that from vs for our vn­thankfulnesse, which before he did be­stowe vpon vs in his great goodnesse.

2. He vseth small & weak means, to the end that wee should not trust in any means whatsoeuer, but to depend vpon Gods power & goodnes onely. For as Ionathan said to his armour bearer, 1. Saw. 14.6 It is not hard for the Lord to saue with many or with few, so neither is it hard for him to saue by great meanes or by small means. In which perswasion and confi­dence, Dauid being but a child and not [Page 143]expert in feats of warre, ventured to en­counter with great Goliah with a staffe and a sling only, 1. Sam. 17 who came against him with sword, spear, & shield, onely vpon this resolution; It is the Lords battell, saith he, who saueth not with sword and with speare but by his own power. 1. Sā. 17. But most worthy & memorable is that which we read of K. Asa. 2. Chr. 2. Chron. 14 11 14 who being to fight with Zerah the K. of Ethiopia, who came against him with an hoast of 1000000. & 300. chariots, praied vnto God after this maner: Lord it is nothing for thee to help with many, or with no power: helpe O Lord our God, for we rest in thee, and in thy name are we come against this multitude. O Lord thou art God, let not man preuail against thee: who also according to that faith which hee had of Gods power, where­in he did repose himself, did ouercome and vanquish him, beeing in power much inferiour vnto him. If I should but call to your remembrance those 2. great & wonderful deliuerances worthy [Page 144]to be written in a piller of marble that they might neuer be forgotten, which God hath vouchsafed to this our land by most small and weake meanes if I may so speake: the one in deliuering vs from the furie of the Spaniardes who came against vs with an invincible na­uie as they called it, and not possible to bee resisted as they supposed, making the sea and the windes to fight for vs, when as our preparation was not able to match theirs; the other in deliuering vs from the danger of the powder trea­son, into which we were readie to haue fallen, had not God of his mercie most miraculously saued vs; and that by most vnlikely meanes, only by an enig­maticall Letter, written most darkly, & interpreted as strangely, and yet with­all most effectually for the discouering and finding of it, by our most wise So­ueraigne, who like an other Oedipus dissolued the riddle; and brake the snare in peeces; I say if I should but call to your rembrance these two, they might [Page 145]easily moue you not only to acknow­ledge, how God worketh by small meanes, and yet bringeth mightie things to passe by them; but also moue you to put your trust in God, and not in meanes, 2. Chro. 16.12. as Asa did afterwardes in seeking to Physicions, and not to the Lord 2. Chron. 16. assuring our selues that it is not so much the meanes, whether great or small, as the omnipo­tent power of God that worketh and and bringeth euery thing to passe. And therefore lette vs bee of Dauids mind and say with him Psal. 20. Some put their trust in Horses, and some in Chariots, Psal. 20.7.but wee will remember the name of the Lord our God: saue Lorde, let the King heare in the day that wee call.

Thus doe you see, how the weake and small meanes is not any waies a let or hinderance vnto the cure; but there is yet a greater matter then this. viz. That he is not only healed hereby, but also healed suddainly and present­ly; [Page 146]for immediatly vpon this, the lepro­sy departed from him. The Philoso­phers haue a saying that [...], no greate matter can bee doone vpon a suddaine; but there must be a good time & a good space for the producing and bringing forth of it. It is reported of the Elephant that shee is ten yeeres in bringing foorth an other Elephant, and that the Lionesse is her whole life time in brin­ging foorth of a Lyon. If it bee but a matter of building, you shall see that a faire house is not set vp on a suddain; but there must bee a good time for the erecting of it. Salomons house which hee builded for himselfe was 13 yeeres in building. 1. King. 7.11 1. Kings 7. And the Temple of Ierusalem, though som [...] perhaps will thinke that Salomon should haue bestowed more time in building Gods house, then in building his own; yet it was no lesse then seaue [...] yeeres in building. [...]. Kin. 6.38 1. Kings 6. and the Temple which was builded also after [Page 147]this, was no lesse then fortie six yeeres in building. Iohn 2.20.

But to come a little neerer vnto the point; in a matter of Physicke, wee see that an ordinary disease is not by and by cured, but there must be a suffi­cient time for the doing of it. The woman of Sirophonisse that was dis­eased with an issue of bloude, Mar. 5.25 was twelue yeeres in the Physicions hands, of whome shee suffered many things, and spent all her substance on them, and yet was neuer the better for them but rather the worse.

And Naaman the Sirian, when hee was healed of his leprosie, though it was after an extraordinary man­ner, 2. Kin. 5 yet hee was not heared present­ly; but the Prophet bids him to wash himselfe seauen times in the riuer Iordan, and then his flesh came againe like the flesh of a young child, which was by little and little; but heere our Sauiour Christ doth but touch the Leper & commands him to [Page 148]be healed, and the leprosie immedi­atly departed from him. Doe not aske how this could possibly be; that amāful of leprosie should be healed by touch­ing and speaking only vnto him, and that presently & immediatly too, as soone as euer the worde was passed from him; Aug. epist. 3. ad Volusian. for as Austen saies, Si ratio quaeritur, nō erit mirabile; si exemplum poscitur, non erit singulare, if you seek for a reason of it, it were no miracle: & if you would haue an example of it, it were not singular; in talibus ratio fac­ti potestas facientis, in all such cases the reason and cause of the thing done is the power of him that doth it. If you will needes haue a reason of it; Saint Ambrose will tell you, Nihil medi­um est inter Dei opus & praeceptum; quia in prae­cepto est opus. Dixit & fac­ta sunt. Amb. in 5. Luc. that the leprosy immediatly departed from him, because there is nothing between Gods command and the thing that h [...] commands; the worke which he doth being within the commaunde, accor­ding as the Prophet Dauid saith, H [...] spake the word & it was done: which [Page 149]implyes that if hee command any thing it is presently done. Marke then I be­seech you not only the powr of Christ in healing this leper, but also his pow­er and goodnesse in healing him so presently too; not taking any longe time to heale him, as many Physiti­ans and Chirurgians do, who heale after a very straunge manner, not ex­ [...]acting but protracting the disease; but contrariwise in healing him quic­ly & speedily euen in a trice as it were and in the turning of the hand. For as he is able to heale vs by small and weake meanes: so is hee able to helpe vs in a very short time, or without any time at all, when it pleaseth him; ac­cording to that which the Psalmist saith, God is our hope and strength, Psal. 46.1. Beneficij gra­tia prompti­tudine & ce­leritate con­geminatur. Nazian de amore paupe­rum.a present helpe in time of trouble. Which is not only a singular comfort, but al­so a double benefit, as Nazianzene saies; forasmuch as a benefit that is bestowed promptly and speedily, is made a double benefit with the quick­nesse [Page 150]and celerity of it. Wee reade of the Israelits that when Pharaoh & the Aegyptians pursued them in such ma­ner as they despaired of all helpe; Exod. 14. ha­uing their enimies behinde them rea­dy to kill them, & the sea before them ready to drowne them, being compas­sed round about with the mountaines & the rocks, with the sea, and a greate multitude of armed men as Iosephus doth discourse of it; Ioseph. An­tiq. lib. 2. c. 6. God who is able to turne the mountains into a Plain, & the sea into dry land, presently diuided the sea, and made it become dry land: wherein the Israelites passing through were preserued and saued, but contra­riwise, Pharaoh & the Aegyptians pur­suing them were destroied & drownd. When Zenacharib the King of Assiria, 2. Kings. 19.35. came against Iuda & Ierusalem with a huge host, so as Ezechias & his people despaired & were out of all hope; God who is our refuge & a present helpe in time of troble, sendeth an Angel which destroied an hundred fourescore and [Page 151]fiue thousand of his men in one night: by which meanes hee preserued and deliuered both the King, and his peo­ple. 2, Kings, 6.25. When Benhadad the King of A­ram besieged Samaria, in such manner that an asses head was sould for Lxxx. peeces of siluer, and the fourth part of a Kab of doues dunge for fiue peeces of siluer; God within one day after sent such plenty among them by a spoile, which hee gaue them in the tentes of the Aramits, that a measure of fine flower was soulde for a shekle, and two measures of barley for a shekle. What should I tell you of Ionas? Ion. 1.17. who being cast into the sea and ready to bee drowned, God sendeth present helpe, by sending a whale of the sea to receiue him and to preserue him: of Susanna, Dan. 3.25. who being condemned to death, God stirred vp the spirit of Da­niell and so deliuered hir: of the 3 chil­dren that were cast into the firie & hot burning furnace, who being redy to be cōsum'd with the fire, God sent one like [Page 152]vnto the Sonne of God and preserued them. All which with many more ex­amples that might be produced, doe euidently demonstrate to our greate comfort, that God is both able & wil­ling to helpe vs euen vpon the present and in our greatest need of all. And therefore we should not bee discoura­ged nor dismayed at any time in our greatest dangers of al; but rather with Dauid, [...]. Sam. 30. when as the people were ready to stone him, to comfort our selues in the Lord our God, assuring our selues that God who is able to bring light out of darknesse, is able by some mean: or other to send present helpe and de­liuerance vnto vs; yea and that hee will also, if hee see it to make for our good and his owne glory. And thus much also of the cure it selfe, wrought as you see by small & weake meanes, and yet most effectually and wonder­fully too; for the leprosy immediatly departed from him.

Now followeth the charge which [Page 153]our Sauiour Christ giueth vnto him after his cure: See thou tell no man &c. Which perhaps may seeme vnto some to be very strange, and scarse standing with the rules of ciuilitie & humanity, to receiue a benefit & then to smoother it by concealing of it; whereas if a poore man receiue but an almes, the hand will moue to the head, the knee wil bend to the ground, and the tongue will bee ready to giue thankes and to be telling euery body of it. All which I confesse to bee true: but yet doe but consider the manner of the charge, and the intent & mea­ning of Christ in it, and you will not only cleere him of all imputation, but also highly approue, and commend his dealing in it. First for the manner of the charge, Christ doth not forbid him to publish this miracle by way of a precept as Caietan saies, Caietan. in 8. cap. Mat. but by way of an humble affection that he would shewe in himselfe and commend vn­tovs; or if it be a precept, yet it is not [Page 154]a simple or an absolute precept, but a precept secundum quid, as the School­men speak, with relation to some par­ticular respect: wherein hee doth not simply and absolutely commaund him to tell no man, as if he would haue had the miracle to be hid and kept secret, (for then he would rather haue done it closely & secretly, then in the presence of a greate multitude that followed him, and woulde rather haue healed him by his will then by his worde in speaking vnto him) but he commands him to tell no man, viz. before such time as he had shewed himselfe vnto the Priest, & then afterward he might publish it and tell it to whomsoeuer he would. And this was, to auoid the ma­licious & wicked dealing of the Priests about the discerning & iudging of his cleansing: who had they vnderstood that Christ had healed him, though most exactly & most perfectly; yet they would neuer haue admitted nor approued of his cleansing, only for the very [Page 155]malice & hatred which they bare vnto Christ; and therefore hee would haue this to be hid, and secret for a while, vntil such time as the Priest had iudged & approued of his cleansing; that if af­terward they should cauill and quarrell about it, they might bee conuicted & condemned of themselues, hauing be­fore iudged & pronounced him to bee cleane. Wherin appeares most clear­ly both the singular wisdome, & the most louing care & affection of Christ toward this Leper. His wildom in pre­uenting and defeating the malitious practise of the Priests, by taking away al occasion of calumniation from thē; his loue and tender affection, in being carefull that the Leper whom hee had healed, might not be vexed nor mole­sted, but be receiued again into the so­ciety & company of others. So as if Christians are to follow Christ as soul­diers follow their Captaine, wee may learne both to be wise in preuenting & avoiding of dangers, & also to be cha­ritable in helping & deliuering such as [Page 156]are oppressed and suffer iniury.

For the former, our Sauiour Christ would haue his disciples not only to haue the innocency of the doue; Mat. 10.16. but also the wisdome of the Serpent. For as religion and ciuill conuersation do very well agree together (though som make all their religion to bee in a cer­taine austerity and rusticity) so also piety and Christian policie may very well agree together. For it is not the simplicity of the Asse, which is void of all reason and vnderstanding, that is commended vnto Christians; but the simplicity of the doue ioyned with the wisedome of the Serpent, that is wor­thy of praise and commendation. And therefore wee shall finde that the ser­uants of God haue from time to time vsed singular wisedome in all their ac­tions. It is said of Iacob that hee was a plaine man (for so it is in our English translation) and yet what wisedome shewed he toward his vncle Laban in keeping his flockes, toward his wiues [Page 157]liuing peaceably with them both, and toward his brother Esaw in pacifying his wrath and displeasure conceiued against him? Ge. 30. & 32 Gen. 30.32. What should I tell you of Dauid changing his beha­uiour, and fayning himself mad, when he was in danger of King Achish 1. Sa. 1. Sam. 21. 21. Of Salomon making a shew as if he woulde haue had the liuing child to haue beene diuided betweene the wo­men that did striue together, 1. Kings. 3. thereby to find out the true mother. 1. Kings. 3. Of Paul, who seeing one part of the Councell to be of the Pharises, and the other of the Sadduces, set them to­gether one against an other, Act. 23.6. thereby to escape the daunger that hee was in. Act. 23. with diuers other examples that I could bring; that if God com­mendeth the vniust steward for deal­ing wisely, Luc. 16. Luk. 16. he will much more commend iust and godly men for dea­ling wisely. The which is not spoken to patronise or maintaine the policie, or rather the fraud and subtilitie of [Page 158]Iesuits and Machiauelists, whose pro­fession is altogether to ly and to flatter, to dissemble, and to equiuocate, and to vse all kind of trechery and villany, hauing all the subtility of the Serpent but nothing at all of the innocency of the doue (for as Bernard saith of such wily and crafty foxes as these are, Bern. in Cant ser. 65. vul­pium posteriora foetent, the hinder parts of these foxes stinke most abominably when their secrets & deuises come to bee discouered afterward: who al­though they beguile the world for a while; yet in the ende God catcheth them in their owne craftinesse, 1. Cor. 3.19 striketh them in the hinder parts & puts them to a perpetuall shame as Dauid speak­eth) I say it is not spoken to defend Ma­chiauellian subtilty, Psal. 78.66. but Christian poli­cy, to teach vs to be as wise to take the Foxes, Cant. 2.15. and the little Foxes, as they are crafty and malitious to destroy our vines, and to dooe hurte vnto vs.

For the latter which is pietie and [Page 159]charity in redeeming others from wrong and iniury, it is the very life and being of religion as Saint Iames saies; for what is pure religion and vndefiled before God, but to visite the father­lesse, and the widowes, in their aduer­sity? Iam. 1. Iam. 1.27. Act. 7.24 that as wee reade of Moses when he saw one of his brethren suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged his quarrell that had the harme doon vnto him, and smote the Aegyptian; so should we do, when vve see our bre­thren suffer vvrong and oppression or to be in any distresse vvhatsoeuer, to helpe and deliuer them either by our countenance and authority if vve be in place to doe it, or at least by our good counsell, and good indeauour, or by any other meanes, whereby wee may testify this christian & charitable affec­tion towards them. Gen. 4. Not to say as Cain did, whē God askt him where his bro­ther Abel was, Iob. 29.12. Numquid ego sum custos fratris mei? am I my brothers keeper? but rather to do as Iob did, who professeth [Page 160]that he deliuered the poore and the fa­therlesse, and him that had none to help him, that hee was the eyes to the blinde, the feete to the lame, and a father vnto the poore, that he did breake the chawes of the vnrighteous man, and did pluck the prey out of his teeth. Which du­tie all Christians ought to performe, not onely by his example, but also of Christ here, who was carefull that the poore Leper might not bee molested, but forthwith bee pronounced cleane and be receiued of them.

But besides this, our Sauiour Christ had also a morall regard in forbidding this Leper to tell the miracle vnto any man: which was partly in regard of modestie, as not caring nor desiring to haue his good deedes to bee proclai­med; partly in regard of humilitie, as flying all vaine-glorie in seeking the praise & commendation of the world; and partly in regard of pietie, to giue al the praise and glory hereof vnto God, whose glory onely hee sought after; [Page 161]not that he feared (saith Caietan) either immodesty, or vaine glorie, or impiety in himselfe, but heereby to commend modesty, humility and piety vnto vs.

For the first, our Sauiour Christ would not haue vs to divulge & to pub­lish our good deedes in bragging and boasting of them, Mat. 6 & in making a trum­pet as it were to be blowne before vs, as hypocrites vse to do; but rather to desire as much as wee may to haue our good deeds to be hid, and to bee kept secret, that so God who seeth in secret may re­warde vs openly. In the lawe, God did forbid to sheare the first borne sheepe. Deut. 15. to signifie as Bernard sayes, Deut. 15.19 that hee would not haue vs to lay open nor to publish our good deeds. Mat. 13.44. And in the gospel, the man that found the trea­sure to which the kingdom of heauen is resembled, went presently & hid the treasure that he found. For vertues and good works, saith the same Father, do grow & increase in priuat & secret pla­ces: but they do wither & decrese in publicke [Page 162]and open places. Satis tutus penus meri­torū, obliuio meritorum. Chrysost. hom 39 ad pop. Ant. The safest place to laie vp our vertues, is, in obliuion (sayth Chrysostome) that being a most safe and sure store-house to keepe them in. Euen as gold and siluer or any other thing of price and valew beeing expo­sed and layde forth in open publicke place doe prouoke and entise others to lie in waite and to steale them from vs; but being laide vp at home in some se­cret place, they are then safe and free from all danger: so is it with the riches and the treasures of our good deeds; if we alwayes carry them about with vs, either in our memorie or in the tip of our tongues, to make sale as it were of them, we prouoke God, wee arme our enemy, and entise him to steale them a­way from vs; whereas if he only knows of them, from whom nothing is hid, though it be neuer so secret, they are safe from all perill and daunger. Mat. 13 The seede that fell in good ground and did take deepe roote in the earth was not only safe; but brought forth fruit also; [Page 163]but the seede that fell by the high-waie side, the fowles of the ayre came and deuoured it; whereof a manifest proofe is to bee seene in the Pharisee, Lu. 18.11 who for sowing his seede by the high-waie side, in boasting and telling euery where of his good deeds; the fowles of the ayre, that is, the diuell and his angells, came and eate vp his seede, that he had neuer any crop of it. Wherefore, if wee doe any good deedes, let vs not proclaime them, as it were, in an open market, nor yet glorie in them. Num. 23.4 If thou hast builded altars vnto God, doe not boast of them as Balaam did. Numb. 23. Iud. 15.16 If thou hast slaine 1000. Philistines, yet do not boast of it as Sampson did. Iudg. 15. If thou fast, and pay thy tithes tru­ly (as few doe) yet doe not bragge nor boast of it as the Pharisies did. Luk, 18. Luk. 18.11 If we thinke to meet God with an hun­dred of our good deeds, hee will come against vs with a thousand of our euill deeds, and ouercome vs.

And yet notwithstanding, I doe not [Page 164]deny but that there is also sometimes a necessarie vse of manifesting our good deeds vnto the world, for the good ex­ample and profit of others. For if wee were altogether to hide them, why then doth our Sauiour Christ bid vs to let our light to shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glori­fie our Father which is in heauen. Mat. 5. Aug. in ep. Ioh. tr. 8 Wherupon saith S. Austen; Si times spectatores, non habeb is imitatores, if thou fearest to haue any man to see thee when thou doest well, thou shalt not haue any man to imitate thee whē thou doest well. And therefore do not feare when thou art about any good worke, least any man should see thee: but ra­ther feare to do it for this end only, that another may see thee, Si abscondis ab oculis ho­minū, abscon­dis ab imita­tione hominū. Aug. ibid. and commend thee for it. For necessary it is for thee to be seene for the imitation of others, but thou must not do it for this end only for the praise & commendation of others; according as Christ sayth, Matth. 6 Take heed that you giue not your alms to be seene [Page 165]of men, or else shall you haue no re­warde of your Father which is in hea­uen. Math. 6.

But the next point, which is Christs humilitie, in not seeking for the vaine applause and commendation of the world, will giue vs more occasion to speake of this matter: which hee did to commend the like affection vnto vs; not to doe anie thing for vaine glory, nor for a popular applause, and com­mendation of the world; because it is not vertue, sayth Saint Austen, Non virtus sed causa virtutis mer­cedem habet. August. but the cause of vertue that is rewarded. Our Sauiour Christ woulde haue vs when wee giue our almes or doe anie other good deede, Mat. 6.3 not to let the left hand knowe what the right hand dooth: August. de Temp. ser. 59 that is according to Saint Au­stens interpretation, not to suffer the vaine glorie of the world to corrupt that which the loue of God doth or at the least ought to do: Aug. lib. 2. de serm. dei in monte. the left hand sig­nifying a sinister affection of the praise of men, the right hand signifying a [Page 166]right affection of the loue of God. So that if the desire of praise and of world­ly glory doth insinuate and wind it self into our good deedes, the left hand is priuie to that which the right hand doth: but if wee doe them with an ho­nest minde and a good intention, then the right hand dealeth wisely, in doing all it selfe, & not suffering the left hand to know what the right hand doth. For if any shall thinke that this can be per­formed literally, what monstrous con­ceits would insue hereof? Suppose that the right hand bee hurt or maymed, ought not therefore a man to giue an almes with his left hand? Or suppose a man out of his charity would redeeme a Captiue, how can he either vntie his purse, or open his chest, if the left hand dooth not ioine it selfe vnto the right hand? Therefore, the meaning of Christ is, that in doing our good deeds we should do them with a right affecti­on of fulfilling the will of God, and not with a sinister respect of seeking the [Page 167]vanity and glory of the world. Wee reade of the Prophet Elisha, that when he wrought a miracle, 2. King. 4 4 to do a worke of charity in helping a poore Widowe (whose husband being dead, the Credi­tors came very roughly vpon hir for his debts) that hee willed her to borrowe emptie vessells of all hir neighbours, and to goe home and shut the dore vp­pon her selfe, and her sonnes, and to fill the vesselles with that oyle which shee drewe out of her pitcher: signifying hereby (as Saint Austen sayes) that eue­ry man when he giues an alms or doth any good deedes, August. ibid. hee should doe them the dore being shut, that is, not to bee praysed of men; but to finde grace and fauour with God. For, hee that dooth good deeds for the praise of men, hee doth them the dore being open: but he that doth them for the loue of the glo­ry of God, though hee doth it openly, yet he doth it the dore being shut, be­cause therein hee dooth not seeke that which is seene, viz. the praise of men, [Page 168]but that which is not seene, viz. the praise and glory of God.

To disswade vs from this fond desire and loue of the praise of men, there can be no better motiue then to consider, 1. How vaine. 2. How vncertaine. 3. How vnprofitable. 4. How dangerous it is vnto vs. First, it is a most vaine and friuolous thing, because it is to no pur­pose to be solicitous, and carefull of an other mans iudgement, whose prayse doth not altogether commend vs, and whose dispraise doth not altogether cō ­demne vs. If wee were to appeare be­fore the iudgement seate of men, to re­ceiue a reward according to our works, there were some cause then to seeke the testimony & praise of men: but because wee are not to bee presented before the iudgement seat of men, but before the iudgement seate of Christ; 2. Cor. 5.10 How great vanity and folly is it to reioice and glo­rie in their testimony? where God him­selfe is the iudge, before whose eyes all things are naked, hauing no neede that [Page 169]any man should giue witness vnto him. The vanitie wherof, appeareth yet fur­ther in this, that when a man hath got­ten all the praise and glorie that he can possbly haue of men, in beeing called Rabbi, and hauing a great name here in the world, yet what remains after death of all this, but only a name & a memo­ry here vpon earth, according to that which Dauid sayes. Psalm. 76.5. Psal. 76.5 They haue slept their sleepe, and all the men whose hands were mighty haue found nothing. If this bee the end of all our good deeds, and if we do make this our happinesse, Born. ep. 104 what hath a man more then a beast hath? for as Bernard saies, when a mans palfry is dead, euen his very pal­fry shall be praised & commended too. Therefore if we will needs haue praise let vs seeke for the praise of God, and not the praise of men; for as hee that praiseth himselfe is not allowed, (as the Apostle saith) so neither he whom men do praise, 2. Cor. 10.18 but he whom the Lord prayseth. 2. Cor. 10.18.

[Page 170]Besides, it is not onely a vaine and a fond thing, but also a very vncertaine and vnsure thing, to commit a mans praise and his glorie to the custodie of an other man; whose lippes are like vn­to a chest as Bernard saies, without ei­ther locke or key vnto it, Bern. ep 42 [...] which we can neither shut nor open when wee our selues will. Yea, it is not only verie vn­safe, but also very ridiculous to lay vp our treasure there whither wee cannot come to take it and to vse it when wee our selues will. For, if thou layest vp thy praise and commendation in my mouth, it is not henceforth in thy power, but in my power, beeing in my free choice either to praise thee or to dispraise thee. Therefore, the safest place to lay vp our praise, is with God, and in our owne conscience; whatsoe­uer we lay vp there, we are sure to find, and to vse it when we will: it will keepe it for vs while we liue, and will restore it againe vnto vs when we are dead; for whithersoeuer we goe, that goeth with [Page 171]vs, carrying with it our depositum, viz. that which it receiued to keep for vs.

Againe, who sees not how vnprofi­table and gainelesse a thing it is to seek the praise of men for our good works, when as hereby wee loose our rewarde with God, by receiuing the praise of men as a reward of them; that as Abra­ham sayd vnto the rich man, Luke 16 Sonne re­member that thou receiuedst thy good things in thy life time; so God will tell these men, that they haue receiued their reward already here in this world in which regarde S. Chrysostome saith, Chrysost. hom 24. ad pop. Antioch. [...]hat those that doe anie good thing for [...]aineglory to be praised of men, do as [...]t were suffer shipwracke in the hauen, [...]osing their rewarde there, where they [...]hould receiue it; and therfore he would [...]ot haue vs to seeke and receiue the praise of men, for our good works, that [...]e may haue God our debtor; who is [...]ot only able to pay his own debts him selfe without our running vnto men for [...]hem, but also to pay vs more liberally [Page 172]& more bountifully, by giuing vs a re­warde of eternall blisse and glorie in heauen; then all the men in the world are, by giuing vs a rewarde of a vaine and transitorie praise & glory here vp­pon earth.

But the greatest matter of all is, that it is not onely vnprofitable, but also ve­rie daungerous and hurtfull vnto vs; this same vaine glorie beeing like vnto the arrowe that flyeth by day whereof DAVID speaketh, Psal. 91 Psalm 91. Which flyeth lightly and pierceth lightly, as Bernard sayth, Bern. in psal. Qui habit. ser. 14 but dooth not wound lightly. It is sayde of the Basiliske that hee killeth with his verie sight onely. Now surely if I bee not deceiued sayth the same Father, this Basiliske is vaine glory, according to that which Christ sayth, Take heede that you giue not your almes to bee seene of men. Math 6.1. Mat. 6.1 as if hee should saie, Beware o [...] the eyes of the Basiliske, whose na­ture and propertie it is to kill with his sight those whom he sees first, and con­trariwise [Page 173]to bee killed of those that doe first see him: so also vaine glorie killeth those that it first seeth, and doe not see it, in marking how vaine, vnprofitable and hurtfull it is; but contrariwise it is killed of them that doe first set their eyes vppon it, in considering the na­ture and qualitie thereof; thereby to a­uoide the hurt and the danger of it.

So then for the conclusion of all, let [...]rs follow the counsell which S. Chrysost. hom 5. in Gen. Chry­sostome giues, viz. to imitate those that run at tilt; who do not greatly heed the acclamations and shoutings of the be­holders, but look chiefly to the Iudge & to the price for which they do striue: so let vs also in rūning the race that is set before vs, not regard the praise & com­mendatiō of men, but look only to that crown of righteousnes which christ the iust Iudge wil giue to all those that run lawfully & cōtinue vnto the end. How­beit, we do not cōdemn it as a thing simply & altogether vnlawful to receiue the praise of men; Bern. in paru. ser. ser. 47. ther being a time whē we [Page 174]may to very good purpose receiue the same; not for vaine glorie, but for the profit and benefit of some, who by this meanes will the more easily be perswa­ded, in all honest and good things to yeeld obedience vnto vs. For, as a good conscience is necessarie for euery good Christian in regarde of himselfe; so a good name and a good testimony a­mong men, is necessary in regarde of others to profit and to doe good vnto them, being greatly induced with the good opinion and commendation of a mans person. The godly are fitly re­sembled vnto Vines; which, as Salo­mon sayes, Can. 2.14 haue a good sauour with them: Vineae dederunt odorem, the Vines haue cast a sauour. Bern. in cant. serm. 60 Cant. 2. Now what is this good fauour sayth Bernard but a good testimony of those that are without? with which they beeing mo­ued, who as yet haue not beleeued, do glorifie God themselues also by our good report; beeing the sauour of life vnto life vnto them: according to that [Page 175]which the Apostle sayth: 2. Cor. 2 Wee are the sweete sauour of Christ vnto all them that are saued. 2. Cor. 2. So then, as the wiseman dooth not simply forbid men to eate honie, Prou. 25 but to eate too much of it. Prou. 25. So, God doth not abso­lutely forbid vs to desire & receiue the testimony and praise of men; but to rest and content our selues therein, as in our last end, not seeking any other fruit of it: for then we eate too much of the hony comb, walking more in the light of mans countenance then wee doe in the light of Gods countenance. And therefore, let vs either not regarde nor care for the praise & applause of men, as making that the chiefe end & marke we ayme at; or if wee doe receiue the commendation and honour of men; let it not be to admire our vertues, and to be in loue with our selues; but let it be to honour our profession, and to en­large Gods dominions, and to aduance the benefit and profit of our brethren, in our seuerall places: which is the [Page 176]right end and vse of all mans praise & commendation.

For the third respect, which is pie­ty, our Sauiour Christ dooth it, to the end that wee should not ascribe any thing vnto our selues, but giue all the praise and glory vnto God for all those good things that we haue or doe; be­cause all our ability of dooing good is not of our selues but from God: as the Apostle sayth, 2. Cor. 3.5 Wee are not able of our selues so much as to think a good thoght; but all our sufficiencie is from him. Whereupon saith S. Cyprian, Cypr. epist. ad Cornel.In null [...] gloriandum, quia nostrum nihil est, wee ought not to boast nor to glory of any thing; because nothing is our own. The Prophet Esay cap: Esay 10.15 10. asketh this que­stion, Shall the axe boast it selfe against him that he aweth therewith, or shall the Sawe exalt it selfe against him that mooueth it? as if the rod should lift vp it selfe against him that taketh it vppe, or as if the staffe should ex­alt it selfe, as if it were no wood. If [Page 177]wee see any good thing either in our selues or in others worthy of prayse, we are to praise God both in our selues and in them, being done by our hands but by his power; for neither is the prayse of writing well, the prayse of the pen; neither is the prayse of doing well the glorie of the hand. Examine any good thing that wee haue or doe; and tell me for which of them can we haue prayse of our selues? Can wee for our holinesse? no verily; it is the spirit of God that doth sanctifie vs. 1. Thes. 5.22 Can we for our good words? no nei­ther; Mat. 10.20. it is GOD that giueth both a mouth and wisedome to speake with­all; as for our tongue it is but the pen of a readie writer. Psal. 45.1. Can wee for our good deedes? much lesse: It is God that worketh both the will and the deede ac­cording to his good pleasure. Phil. 2.13. And ther­fore let vs say with Dauid, Psal. 115.1.Not vnto vs, not vnto vs O Lord, but vnto thy name giue the prayse and the glory for thy truths sake: The quire of heauen­ly [Page 178]souldiers when they celebrated the birth of Christ, Luk. 2.12. they diuided their Songe into two parts, giuing glory vnto God and peace vnto men after this manner, Glorie be to God on high, and peace on earth. For though God doth giue his grace vnto men, yet his glorie hee giueth vnto none, as God himself testifieth by the Prophet Esay, Esay. 43.I will not giue my glorie vnto any other. Quid ergo dabis Domine, quid dabis? what thē wilt thou giue vs O lord, Bern. in Cāt. ser. 12. Ioh. 14.27. saith Saint Bernard. What wilt thou giue vs? Peace I giue vnto you sayth Christ, my peace I leaue with you. It is suffici­ent O Lord sayth the deuout Father; I doo thankefully receiue that which thou leauest, and doo leaue that which thou reseruest: least other­wise by vsurping that which is deni­ed, I deserue to lose that which is graunted. Verily, hee that is not contented with peace, is not conten­ted with God; for God is our peace. E­phe. Eph. 2.14. 2. and hath reconciled vs vnto him­selfe. [Page 179]Though Ioseph had the gouern­ment of his Maisters house, Gen. 39.4. and all his goods committed vnto him, yet hee knew that his Mistress was excepted; and therefore hee would not consent to come neere vnto her. 1. Sam. 17. When Dauid ouercame Goliah, all the people reioy­ced and receiued peace: but Dauid only had the honour of the victorie. So let vs content our selues with the grace of God, and let God haue the glorie vnto himselfe. For what fa­uour or glorie soeuer wee receiue, which wee do not referre vnto God, wee steale it from him, and do incurre the like daunger of punishment which Herod did; who, Act. 12.21. for taking the glorie vnto himselfe which the people gaue vnto him for an elo­quent Oration which hee made vpon a solemne feast day (as Eusebius repor­teth) kept in the honour of Caesar (at which time being arayed in a siluer suite glistering with the beames of the Sunne, Euseb. Eccl. hist. li. 2. ca. 9 and speaking most admirably as [Page 180]they thought, hee did so amaze all that were present, that they gaue a great showt saying, The voice of God and not of man;) I say, because hee too ke the glorie vnto himselfe and did not giue it vnto God, immediatly the Angell of God smote him; so as hee was ea­ten vppe of wormes and gaue vp the Ghost.

This is the first thing in the charge, that hee should tell no man: the next thing is to shewe himselfe vnto the Priest. It was a lawe among the Iewes, that if any man was healed of the Le­prosie, Leuit. 13. he should shewe himselfe vnto the Priest; not to shew and confesse his sins vnto him, Rhemists in Annot. Luc. 17. as the Rhemists and o­thers would seeme to build their auri­cular confession vpon this: which must needs proue a verie weak building, be­ing set vpon so weak a foundation; (for the schoolmen say that Symbolica the­ologia non est argumentatiua. Symboli­call diuinitie by way of allusion and re­semblance is not fitte to argue and to [Page 181]make conclusions withall) but to dis­cern and iudge of the cure, and to pro­nounce and deeclare him to be clean: which was the only cause for which our Sauiour, Christ willeth him to goe and shewe himselfe vnto the Priest. Wherin it is verie credible that Christ had a threefolde regarde; both of the Leper, of him selfe, and of the Priest.

First for the Leper, hee would haue him to shew himselfe vnto the Priest to the ende hee might performe obe­dience vnto the law, which required that euery Leper that was healed shuld present himselfe before the Priest. For seeing the law of Moses was not yet a­brogated but did still stand in force; therefore hee would haue him to per­forme obedience vnto it. Whereby he would seeme to intimate that streight bond and obligatorie power that is in all lawes; not only in the morall lawe of God, but also in the iudiciall and politicke lawes of men. For seeing [Page 182]the lawes of men are deduced and drawne from the law of God, or from the law of Nature, if they be iust and honest: hence it followeth that wee are in conscience to performe obedi­ence vnto them, euen as vnto the writ­ten lawe of God. 1. Pet. 2.13. In which regarde Saint Peter would haue vs to sub­mitte our selues to all manner ordi­nance of man for the Lords sake, 1. Peter, Eph. 6.5. 2. And Saint Paul would haue seruants obedient vnto their Maisters as vnto Christ; Eph. 6. yea all what­soeuer to bee subiect to those that are in authoritie, Rom. 13.6. not only for feare but al­so for conscience, Rom. 13. Not that the lawes of men do binde the con­science as they are from men (for there is but one Law giuer that is able to saue and to destroy, Iam. 4.12. Iames, 4.) but partly as they haue their originall from the lawe of nature, to which our consciences are tyed and bounde; partly, as they are in relation vn­to GOD, who hath power o­uer [Page 183]our consciences, and hath ex­pressely commaunded vs to be subiect and obedient vnto the higher powers Rom. 13.

Which doctrine is directed to two sorts of men especially, who gyantlike do resist and oppose themselues a­gainst all lawes and gouernment, as if they meant to fight against God himselfe, from whome as the Apostle sayth is all power and authoritie Rom. 13. The one is of such as resist and rebel against the ciuill Magistrate, and a­gainst the lawes and gouernment of the Common-wealth; the other is of such as disobay and murmure against the Ecclesiasticall gouernours, and the lawes & regiment of the Church. Of the former sorte, in times past were the Donatists, but in these dayes are the Anabaptists, and the Liber­tines and all kinde of vngodly men, who as Saint Iude sayth do despise go­uernment and speak euill of those that are in authoritie: affirming it to be an [Page 184]enemie to Christian libertie; as if Christian libertie and ciuill obedience could not agree and stand together. A conceite, or rather a monster not newly conceiued, but as olde as the age wherein Moses liued: as may ap­peare by the rebellion not only of Co­rah and his company, Num. 16. but also of the rest of the people at sundrie other times; in so much that Moses who had oftentimes beene vexed with their grudging and murmuring, with their stubbornnesse and disobedience, Iosephus Antiq. lib. 4. cap. 8. being about to dye as Iosephus doth report, called the cheefe of the people before him, and made an Oration vnto them: wherein hee admonished and exhor­ted them to take heede how they did shew themselues vnruly and disobedi­ent vnto their gouernours; for as much as hee that knowes howe to o­bay, will also know the better how to rule when he is aduanced vnto it; and not to thinke that their libertie doth consist in impugning of lawes and re­sisting [Page 185]their superiours and gouernors as hitherto they had done, but rather in obaying and submitting themselues in all dutie vnto them as vnto the or­dinance of God himselfe. Which speech in my minde may as truely and as iustly bee made to Iesuites, Priests and popish traytors, in these dayes: who think themselues to be exempted and freed from all obedience and al­legeance vnto their Soueraine; Espe­cially if the Pope also shall acquite and absolue them thereof. Which I maruell Saint Paul should so grossely ouersee, when hee charged euerie soule to bee subiect vnto the higher powers, Romans 13. That is, Rom. 13.1. as Saint Chrysostom doth note vppon those words, not only secular persons, but also Priests and Monkes: as appeareth by the generality thereof in saying, let euerie soule bee subiect; yea saith the same Father, Etiamsi A­postolus, si Euangelistae, si Propheta, siue quisquis tandem fue­ris. Neque e­nim pietatem subuertit ista subiectio. Chrysost. in 13. cap. ad Rom. though hee bee an Apostle, or a Prophet, or an Euan­gelist, or whatsoeuer else hee may bee; [Page 186]yet hee must hee subiect to the higher powers, because this subiection and o­bedience is not an enemy but rather a friend vnto piety. And although it may sometimes fall out that Princes and Magistrates may prooue wicked and vngodly, tyrannising most vniustly and cruelly; yet if they bee lawfull Rulers, wee ought to yeelde obedience vnto them, because they doe not rule with­out the especiall prouidence and per­mission of GOD, who setteth wic­ked rulers and gouernours many times ouer a Nation, thereby to correct and punish the wickednesse of the peo­ple. Ier. 27.8. To which purpose God com­maunded his people whome hee had deliuered into the hands of Nabucha­donofor a wicked King, to serue and to put their neckes vnder his yoake, threatning to visite all them with the plague, sworde, and famine that would not serue him, Ierem. 27. How much more then ought wee to performe o­bedience to good & godly gouernors, [Page 187]ordaining lawes for the generall bene­fit of the common wealth, if we would not in an ouerweening manner iudge of them, but in all duetie and humilitie submit our selues vnto them?

The second sort is of certaine Schis­matickes and irregular persons, who refuse to yeeld obedience to Ecclesi­asticall gouernours, and to the lawes, orders, and regiment of the Church; vnder a pretence that the rites and ceremonies, and the whole discipline and Gouernmente thereof is not prescribed nor commaunded in the worde of GOD; and therefore they are not bound to performe obe­dience vnto them. Which excepti­on howsoeuer it may seeme to carrie a very faire shewe of great puritie, and sincerity, yet in very deede it is the selfe same reason which the Arrians vsed a­gainst the Catholicke Fathers in the Aramine Councell, Theodor. eccl. hist. lib. 2. cap. 18. who cryed out with open mouthes as Theodoret doth report, that the word Substance [Page 188]and Consubstantiall were not to bee found in the Scriptures; and therfore they ought to be expunged and quite put out of the forme of the Christian faith; affirming moreouer that that which they auouched, viz. that Christ was like vnto the father though not of the substance of the father, was in expresse tearmes to bee found in the Scripture; but that he was of the sub­stance of the Father, and consubstan­tiall with him, as they say, is no where to bee shewed there. Of which kinde of men wee may truely say as Tertul­lian sayd of some, that they beleeue Scriptures to the ende that they may beleeue against the Scriptures. Credunt scripturis, vt ere­dant aduer­sus scripturas Tertull. de preaescr. adu. liae.

But for a further answere; because they will allowe of nothing without Scripture, leauing nothing to the liber­tie, and to the wisedome and authori­tie of the Church (although it were an easie matter, to shewe the re­giment of our Church and the orders and ceremonies therof not to want the [Page 189]authoritie of Scipture also) I will an­swere them as Sisinius a Bishop some­times aunswered one that found fault with him, for wearing a white garmēt, Socr. hist. Eccl. lib. 6. cap. 20. asking him where he did finde it writ­ten in the Scripture that a Priest ought to weare a white garment; I pray you (saith the Bishoppe) shew me you first, where you finde it written in the Scip­ture that a Bishoppe ought to weare a blacke garment? Whereat when he began to sticke fast; well (sayes the Bi­shoppe) you are not able to shew mee where a Bishoppe ought to weare a blacke garment: but I can shewe you where Salomon sayth, Eccl. 9. Let thy garments bee alwayes white, Eccl. 9. where Christ girded himselfe with linnen, Ioh. 13. Ioh. 13. and where the Angells appea­red in white garmēts as white as snow; Act. 1. signifying hereby that whosoeuer shal condemne or dislike many thinges in the Church because they are not ex­pressely sette downe in the Scripture, shall haue as iust cause to dislike many [Page 190]things which hee would haue, because they also are not expressed in the scrip­ture. Tertull. de corona militis Tertull. de Virgin. velā ­dis. Dei est scriptura, dei est natura, dei est disci­plina &c. Quae docet Natura mi­nimè cum verbo dei pugnantia docet Deus. Zanch. de o­per dei. lib. 3 cap 6. Quod neque contra fidem neque contra bonos mores iniungitur indifferenter est habendum & pro eorum intra quos viuitur socie­tate seruan­dū est. Aug. ad Ianuar. ep. 118.119 In many things, nature and reason the consent of nations and the custom of people is a sufficient bond to bind vs without the worde written: accor­ding to that which the auncient Fa­ther Tertullian sayth, Natura prima omnium disciplina est, Nature is the first teacher and instructour of vs; a­gaine in another place, The Scripture is from God, nature is from God, and discipline and gouernment is from God: but whatsoeuer is contrary vnto these, is not from God. With whome that learned Zanchius also accordeth, saying that whatsoeuer nature doth teach, not disagreeing from the word of God, that GOD himselfe doth teach vs. So that herein Saint Au­stens iudgement is to bee retained as a most sure rule, that whatsoeuer is not against faith and good manners, is to bee held as a thing indifferent, and is not only not to bee disliked; [Page 191]but to bee obserued according to the custome and fashion of the Church, wherein we liue. Where he reporteth his owne behauiour and carriage of himselfe at Millaine, August. ad Casulanum ep. 86. when as his mo­ther Monica was there with him, and was somewhat perplexed whether she ought to fast after the manner of her owne Country vpon the Saturday, or to dine after the manner of the Church of Millaine; how hee himselfe went to Saint Ambrose the Bishop of that City to be resolued of that doubt: to whom he answered after long cōference, what can I tell you more of this matter then that which I my selfe vse to do? when I am heere at Millaine, I do not vse to fast vpon the Saturday, but when I am at Rome I doo; therefore obserue the custom of euerie Church you shal come vnto, if neither you will giue of­fence, nor take offence. Which iudg­ment of Saint Ambrose he did so reue­rence & so highly esteeme, that he re­ceiued it as a diuine oracle frō heauen; [Page 192]hauing many times found to his great griefe, as hee professeth, that diuers weak ones are troubled by the cōtenti­ous obstinacie and scrupulous timidity of certain brethren; who in such mat­ters as cannot bee brought to an issue, either by the authoritie of Scripture, or by tradition of the whole Church, or by some profitte or benefit comming from the vse thereof, doe make much trouble and strife in the Church, ei­ther vpon some conceite which they haue in themselues, or vpon experi­ence of the places where they haue trauelled, or vpon some practise, vnto which themselues haue been accusto­med, in so much that they thinke no­thing well done but that which they themselues doo; Terent. in Adelphis. as the Poet did obserue it of vnskilful men and voyd of a sound iudgement. Which speech of Augu­stine may seeme to haue been as it were an Euangelicall prophecy, fulfilled and accomplished in this time wherein we liue, in which all the contentions of our [Page 193]Church I meane concerning the disci­pline and gouernment thereof, are rai­sed vpon the like grounds; either be­cause the rites and ceremonies of our Church are not expresly found in the Scripture, or because other reformed Churches do not vse them, or because the Romish Church doth most grosly and superstitiously abuse them; not considering that the externall policie of the Church and the vse of Ceremo­nies and things indifferent, do not ab­solutely depend either vpon the express word of God prescribing them, or vp­on the state of other reformed Chur­ches which do not vse them, or of ido­latrous churches which do abuse them; but vpon the power and liberty which euery Church hath to ordaine an ex­ternall policie with orders and cere­monies belonging thereunto, as shall seeme most meete and commodious for it; and that according to the iudge­ment both of Tertullian among the an­cient writers, and of Caluin, and Zan­chius [Page 194]with diuers others among the moderne, Regula fidei vna est, sola immobilis & irreformabilis Hac lege fidei­manente, caete ra disciplinae & conuersa­tionis admit­tūt nouitatem correctionis Tertull. de Virg. velan. who do affirme in effect and substance with Tertullian, that there is but one rule of faith, which is immuta­ble and admits no reformation; which remaining safe and sure, other matters of order and discipline admit both al­teration and reformation, as the wise­dom and the discretion of the Church shall thinke fit. Therefore seeing these things stand not so much in the express definition of the Scriptures, or in the vse or abuse of others, as in the determi­nation of the Church and the gouer­nours thereof, wee ought not eyther to quarrell or contend about them, or to refuse subscription & conformity vnto them, or to forsake our callings and the execution of our ministerie for them; but rather with all humilitie & willing­ness to submit our selues & to perform obedience vnto them.

For the reason that concerneth CHRIST himselfe, he would haue the Leper to shew himselfe vnto the Priest, [Page 195]to auoid all occasion of offence, on the Priests and the pharises part: who repu­ted him as a disordered person, and one that went about to peruert and violate their lawe; and therefore, though hee needed not to haue done this, as beeing superiour both to the Priest and to the lawe also; yet not­withstanding for the cause aforesayd, hee sendes him to the Priest, saying; Vade & ostende te Sacerdoti. Goe and shewe thy selfe vnto the Priest. Wherein is a singular precedent, and an example of a Christian carriage of our selues in such sort, as none may iustly bee offended and grieued tho­rough anie offence or defaulte in vs. For the right vnderstanding and per­formance whereof, we are to remem­ber and call to minde an olde but yet a necessarie and a trewe distinction of scandalles, with the different na­tures and qualities of sundrie distinct persons, whom these scandals do con­cerne. The first kinde of scandall is [Page 196]called by the Schoolemen, scandalum actiuum an actiue scandall, Scandalum malae rei ex­emplum aedifi­cans ad delic­tum. Tert. de Virg. velan­dis. Scandalum ost dictum vel factum minus rectum prae­bens alteri occasionem ruinae. Thom. 2. 2. quaest. 43. art 1. or an of­fence giuen; which is nothing else, (as Tertullian sayes) but an euill ex­ample that maketh others to offende and to sinne by it; or as Aquinas the great Schooleman dooth define it; it is a word not rightly spoken, or a thing not rightly done, giuing others occasion to fall thereby: or if it doth not preuaile so farre, yet at the least it doth greatly offend & grieue the mind of a godly and a zealous man. The o­ther is scandalum passiuum, a passiue scandall, or an offence not giuen but taken: when as a thing being good, or at the least not euill in it selfe; yet not­withstanding a person not well dispo­sed falleth into sin by it, or at the least is offended and grieued. For the for­mer, we ought to haue an especiall care that we giue no offence vnto anie, ac­cording to the Apostles direction. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 32 Giue no offence neither to the Iewes, nor to the Grecians, nor to the [Page 197]Church of God, because the actiue scandall is most properly said to be the cause of sin, and therefore hath a most fearefull woe against the authours of it. Mat. 18. Woe vnto the world because of offences. Necessarie it is that offences come: but woe be vnto the man by whom the offence commeth. Mat. 16 Of this kind was the offence that Peter gaue vnto Christ, when as he went about to disswade him from his blessed passion, the soueraigne salue and medicine to heale all our diseases withall; which made him to reprooue and rebuke him so sharply as he did; Get thee behinde me Sathan: thou art an offence vnto me. And such also is the offence of manie men now, who do greatly offend and hurt others by such scandales as they giue vnto them. The which doe com­monly proceede from two especiall causes: either from som hereticall doc­trine & erronious opinion, which they doe disseminate and sowe in the hearts and minds of such as are ignorant and [Page 198]vnstable, beeing not altogether setled nor rooted in the truth; or else from an euill example of a wicked and vngodly conuersation, whereby they infect and poison the soules of others, drawing thē on by their euill example to the like ex­cesse of wickednesse.

Of the first sort, are not only our Ie­suits and popish recusants, and the rest of that rabble, who lie lurking secretly in corners, like foxes in their holes, or like Lions in their dennes, teaching most impious & blasphemous doctrine and disswading subiects from their loy­alty and allegeance vnto their Soue­raigne; but also diuers Schismatickes, the seeds-men of sedition and dissensi­on in our Church; 2. Tim. 3 who creepe priuily into houses, and hold priuate conuen­ticles, seducing and mis-leading them with strange fancies, and idle conceits, & withdrawing them frō performance of that dewty and obedience which they ought to yeeld vnto the Church.

Of the other sort, are all sorts of per­sons [Page 199]whatsoeuer, that giue anie kinde of scandall by the sinnes and offences which they commit, whether it bee whoredom or drunkenness, swearing and blaspheming, fraude and oppres­sion, or any other sin whatsoeuer, wher­by they cause others to cōmit the like, or at the least do greatly grieue & vexe their righteous soules, as the wicked Sodomites vexed the righteous soule of that iust man Lot, 2. Pet. 2.7 by their vncleane conuersation; but especially rich and mighty men that are in high place and authoritie, and are more eminent then others: who by their euill example and wicked practises doe cause a great manie to sinne as Ieroboam did, 1. King. 12 by set­ting vp his golden calues; because that men of lower ranke are readie to imi­tate, without any dew examination, the dealings and practises of those that are of higher degree, thinking that they may lawefully doe whatsoeuer they see them to doe; like as wee see in the heauens, where the heauenlie bodies [Page 200]which are contayned within the first sphere, are mooued according to the motion of the first moouer. Our Saui­our Christ saith, Mat. 6.22 that the light of the bo­die is the eye; and if the eye be single the whole bodie will be light, and if the eye be wicked the whole bodie wil be darke: so surely, if great men be good, others will learne to be good also: but if they be euill, others will learne to bee euill by them; for wheresoeuer there is dark­nesse vpon the mountaines, there is darknesse vpon the vallies also. 1. King. 12 If Iero­boam makes golden calues, the people will quickly fall to idolatrie and wor­ship them. Dan. 3.7 If Nabuchadnezzar sets vp a golden image, all the people will forthwith at the sound of the trumpet, and other instruments of musicke fall downe and worship it. Iudg. 16.30 Sampson can­not pull downe the house vpon himself, but many thousands of the people will be slaine with it.

Therfore, for the conclusion of both, let all sorts of persons take heede, how [Page 201]they giue any offence either by erroni­ous doctrine and wicked perswasions, or by an euill example of a lewde life; because as Saint Austen saies, August. de Temp. ser. 104. So many as a man shall edifie by a good exam­ple, for so many hee shall receiue a re­ward of a blessed life; and contrariwise so many as he shall hurt by example of an euill life, hee shall giue an account vnto God, and receiue a iust recom­pence and a punishment of a wretched and a damnable life; this being a sinne that is not permanent and residing in a mans person onely, but transient and passing from our selues vnto others, like vnto a leprosie that infecteth others with the contagion of it; that as our sa­uiour Christ sayth of the Scribes and Pharisees, Mat. 23 who deuoured widdowes houses vnder a colour of long prayer, that they should receiue the greater damnation: so the like also may be said of these men, that doe not onely sinne themselues, but also cause others to sin, that they shall receiue a double damna­tion; [Page 202]one for the sin which they com­mitted in themselues; the other for the sins which they caused others to com­mit. So as Arrius, and Iulian, and all such miscreants and monsters, shall not only be punished for their owne impi­eties and blasphemies; but also for the impietie and wickednesse wherewith they haue caused others to blaspheme the holy name of God. Now for the second kinde of scandall, Scandalum Pharisaeorū, pusillorum. which is the passiue scandall or the offence taken not giuen, that is to be considered ac­cording to the condition and quality of two sorts of persons: Bern. de prae­cep. & dispē. the one is of mali­tious and wicked men, which take of­fence at good things, which both Saint Bernard & the Schoolemen call, scan­dalum Pharisaeorum, the scandall of the Pharises; the other is of men not mali­tious but yet weak, who either of igno­rance or infirmitie do take offence, not at euil but indifferent things: which hee calleth, scandalum pusillorū; the scan­dall of weake ones.

[Page 203]For the first sort, wee ought not to bee ouercarefull or sollicitous (as Ber­nard sayes) because it proceedeth of malice, as may appeare by Christs dealing with the Pharises. Math. 15. Who whenas the Disciples tolde him how the Pharises were offended at his doctrine, Mat. 15.14 hee seemeth to make no reckoning nor regarde of it, aunswe­ring them with, Sinite illos; let them alone, they are blinde leaders of the blinde. Whereupon the same Fa­ther hath a worthy saying, which is of­ten vsed by the Schoolemen, Bern. ep. 34 Melius est vt scandalum oriatur, quàm vt ve­ritas relinquatur, it is better that a scandall should be taken, then that the truth shoulde bee forsaken. Accor­ding to which rule and direction, the Preachers and Ministers of Gods word, are not to be greatly carefull of their offence, who are offended with them for speaking the truth, either by improving of errors, or reproofe of sin, because there are som spirituall things [Page 204](saith Aquinas) which are of the ne­cessitie of saluation, Thom. 2. se­cūdae quaest. 43. art. 7 which cannot bee omitted nor concealed without the danger of sinne; and therefore ought not to be omitted for anie scandall that may be taken at them: or if they be not of so high a nature, yet the scandall a­riseth of malice in them: who woulde hinder good things by raising and stir­ring vp of scandals, which is iust the Pharisees scandall; and therfore ought not be regarded, because they will not be healed, vnlesse others be made sick by them, Non magno­pere eorum curandum est scandalum, qui non sa­nantur nisi vos infirme­mini. Bern. epist. 90. as Bernard saith very elegant­ly. Neither neede they to bee great­ly mooued with their offence, who are offended with them for reprouing the sinnes and abuses of these times; be­cause it is the Preachers dutie not only to speake, but also to cry out loude a­gainst them: and besides that also; hee is not the cause of the scandal that doth reprooue, but he himselfe rather who hath done that which is meete to be re­prooued. The Preachers dutie is to [Page 205]seeke to profit not to please: Satius ipforū profectib. quā volunta­tib. prouidetis. Bern. ibid. which hee shall the better do by speaking some­times against the wills of men, then by leauing them wholly and altogether to their owne wills. An other case though not in a matter meerely spirituall as the other are, yet in a matter annexed vnto spirituall, as the Schoolemen speake, is concerning the patrimonie and reue­nue of the Church; whether a Minister or a Pastor finding some wolues in his flocke that are ready to spoile and de­uoure the lands and demeanes, the tenths and oblations, which are the pa­trimony & inheritance of the Church, ought quietly to permit & suffer them so to doe, least otherwise offence may bee taken against the Minister, and an imputation of couetousnesse and con­contention he laid vpon him. Thom. 2 2. quaest. 43 art. 8 To which it is answered by Aquinas, that the temporall goods of the Church are not to be suffered, either to bee spoiled or to bee embeselled for any scandall that may bee taken thereat; especially [Page 206]when-as the scandall ariseth of malice in some that intende onely fraude and rapine, & do seek altogether the wrack and ruine of the Church. The reason whereof is this; because the sufferance hereof would prooue hurtfull, not one­ly vnto the Church by giuing occa­sion and animating wicked and sacri­legious persons to robbe the Church; but also vnto wicked men them­selues, by suffering them to detaine vniustlie the goods thereof, without controlement, and to liue and die in their sinne without remorse and ma­king restitution and satisfaction vnto the Church.

For the second sort which take of­fence vniustly at things indifferent and not euill in themselues, Illorum scan­dalum de ma­litia, istorum de ignorantia descendit. Illi scandalizā ­tur, quod ode­runt, isti quia veritatem nesciunt. Ber. de praec. & disp. either of igno­rance or of weakenesse; we are to haue some care and regarde of them in yiel­ding and condiscending something to their weaknesse: because that as the scandal of the other proceedeth of ma­lice in hating the truth; so the scandall [Page 207]of these men proceedeth of weaknesse, in beeing ignorant of the truth; who being of a good and honest mind, but not of anie great knowledge, as Ber­nard saies, haue the zeale of God, but not according to knowledge: the scan­dall of which men dooth prouoke, Talium scan­dala curam non iram pro­uocare solent. Bern. ibid. not anger, but a care in those that are spiritually minded. Of this kinde of scandall was that which our Sauiour CHRIST did yeeld and condiscend vnto: who, Mat. 17.24 whenas the officers came to demaund tribute or poll monie of him & his Disciples; though they nee­ded not to haue payed it as being free: yet, that weake ones might not bee offended, hee caused PETER to cast an Angle into the sea, and with that which hee shoulde take, to paie the tribute money for both of them. And of this it is that the Apostle Saint Paul speaketh in diuers places, wher­in hee sheweth how we are to yeelde vnto the weakness of others. Rom. 15.1 Wee that are strong (sayth the Apostle) ought [Page 208]to beare the infirmities of the weake and not to please our selues. Rom. 15. Againe let vs not iudge one another: [...]om. 14.13but vse your iudgement rather in this, that no man put an occasion to fall or a stum­bling blocke before his brother. Rom. 14. Furthermore, Take heed least this power of yours be an occasion of falling to them that are weake. 1. Cor. 8.9 The reason whereof is, Laesio proxi­mi nullate­nus excusatur à culpa si solus defuerit in causa Deus Bern. de prae. & disp. as Bernard saith, because the hurt of our brethren is no way excused from sin, vnlesse there bee a respect of a higher cause; which is our seruice and obedi­ence vnto God, to which all things must yeelde and giue place. In such a case it is most true that the Prophet sayth; 1. Sam. 2.25 If one man sinne against another, that is, in defence of Gods cause, the Iudge shall iudge it. 1. Sam. 2. But o­therwise, 1. Cor. 8.12 the Apostle sayth, that when wee sin against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, we sinne against Christ. And therefore he doth greatly terrifie them that haue knowledge and want charitie, not knowing how to [Page 209]condescend vnto the weake; saying, that through their knowledge shall the weake brother perish for whom Christ died. 1. Cor. 8. 1. Cor. 8.13 and for his owne part he protesteth, that if meate offend his brother, hee will eate no flesh while the world standeth, that hee may not offend his brother, 1. Cor. 8, 13.

The which notwithstanding is not so to be taken, as if wee might neuer in any case whatsoeuer doe any thing, whereat a weake brother may happely take offence; but that wee ought for a time to condescend to their infirmity and their ignorance, while they may be taught and instructed in the truth, as Saint Paul did with the Gentiles: 1. Cor. 9.15 who although he might haue lawfully rea­ped their temporall things for sowing spirituall things; yet he would not vse this power and liberty for offence sake, vntill such time as he had taught & in­structed them that this was due by the law of God and the law of Nature, for their studie and labour in the ministe­rie. [Page 210]So that if after the truth sufficient­ly taught & demonstrated vnto them, they shall still remaine doubtfull and take offence; then their weakenesse is not any longer to bee borne withall, nor to bee nourished by our dissem­bling and yeelding vnto it; but to bee reproued & corrected; because now it is, Zanch. de Redemp. lib. 1 as the learned & iudicious Zanchius sayth, pertinacia potius quàm imbecilli­tas, rather a pertinacie and an obsti­nacy then an infirmity and a weakenes in them.

To make this a little more plaine by an instance or an example; There are certaine weake brethren among vs (I forbeare to say that some are ob­stinate) that take great offence at the policie and gouernement of our Church, and at the vse of diuers rites and ceremonies thereof, viz. at the Crosse in Baptisme, the wea­ring of the Surplisse, the Ring in marriage, kneeling at the Commu­nion, and at diuers thinges in the [Page 211]Letany and the booke of Common prayer: I demaund now what is to bee done in this case? Are wee al­wayes to yeeld and to condescend to their weakenesse, because they take offence at these things? No verily, but only for a while, till they may be taught and informed concerning the lawfull vse of these things; after which if they shall still persist in their errors, not subscribing, or not conforming themselues to the orders and the re­giment of our Church, they are not to bee indulged nor to bee spared a­ny longer, but they are to bee left to the censures and coercions of the Church; like as wee reade of Sara, Aug. Bonifa­cio epist. 50. in whome Saint Austen sayeth, that the Church of God was prefigured, Gal. 4. who corrected & punished her maide Hagar, Gen. 16. for her pride & contēpt towards [...]hir. And yet Sara did not persecute Ha­gar, as these men vse to coplain of per­ [...]ecutiō, whē as the church doth cēsure [...]hē for their wilfulnes & disobedience; [Page 212]for as Saint Austen sayes, Grauius an­cilla Saram persecuta est per iniquam superbiam, quàm eam Sara per de­bitam disci­plinam, &c. Aug. de vnit. Eccle. the mayde did more persecute the mistress by her pride in despising her, then the mistress did her mayde by her iust discipline in correcting her. And they did more persequute our Sauiour, who caused him to say, the zeale of thy house hath eaten mee vp, then he did them when hee ouerthrew their Tables, and cast them out of the Temple; euen as a sonne doth more persecute his father by his disobedience, then a father doth his sonne by his correction. And therefore we ought so to haue a care of charitie towardes those that are weake, that thereby we neither nuzzle infirmitie, nor impeach the Churches libertie and authoritie: of the defence and maintenance whereof there is a certaine kinde of necessitie that lyeth vpon vs as Caluin sayeth, Habemus & necessitatem vindicandae libertatis, si ea infirmis in conscientijs periclitatur. Calv. Inst. lib. 3. cap. 19. sect. 12. if at any time it bee in daunger to bee lost by the scrupulous cōsciences of those that are weake.

Now for the reason that concer­neth [Page 213]the Priest, our Sauiour Christ would haue the Leper to shew himself vnto the Priest, to giue the Priest his due, viz. that honour and prerogatiue that did belong vnto him; who in this case was ordained as an honourable iudge to discerne of the leprosie, and to giue his sentence and his iudgement of the cleansing and curing of it: Rom. 13.7 and therefore willing to giue all men their duetie, tribute to whome tribute, cu­stome to whom custome, feare to whom feare, honour to whome bonour belon­geth, Vade & ostende te sacerdoti, go (sayth hee) and shew thy selfe vnto the Priest. For which wee are to knowe, that since God did first of all ordaine the Priesthood, he hath euer­more highly honored it in vouchsafing many priuiledges, prerogatiues, im­munities and dignities vnto it. As first in annexing and ioyning the Priest­hood to the royall and imperiall dig­nitie in Melchizedec, Gen. 14. who was both a King and a Priest; in Noah, who was [Page 214]a Monarch and a Preacher; 2. Pet. 2. in Moses, who was a prince and a prophet; Ex. 3. Eccl. 1. in Dauid, who was a king and a prophet; in Salomon, who was a king & a prea­cher: yea in Christ himselfe, who was sent to preach, Luc. 4. and was annointed a king, a priest, and a prophet, and all this no doubt to honour and to coun­tenance the priesthood. Secondly, in bestowing the priesthood not vppon the worst as Ieroboam did, 2. Kin. 12.31 who made priests of the lowest of the people, but vpon the first borne of euerie familie as a priuiledge & an honour that they had aboue their brethren; whereby Melchizedec who is though of most to be Sem the eldest sonne of Noah, be­came to bee a priest of the most high God. Philo. lib. 2. de Monar­chia. Deus Leuitas virtutis pie­tatisque ergo honorauit. Philo de leg­speeialib. lib. 2. Yea more then this, the dignitie of the priesthood was after that be­stowed (as Philo sayes) as a proper and due rewarde of pietie and vertue vpon the tribe of Leui, at what time the people of Israell falling to idolatry in worshipping the golden calf, the tribe [Page 215]of Leui at the cōmandement of Moses girded themselues with their swordes, & slew three thowsād of the idolators: with which zeale of theirs God was so well pleased, Exod. 32.29 that they receiued the priesthood as a rewarde of their pietie & their good seruice vnto God. Third­ly in making the priest a chiefe and a principall man euen in the greatest af­fayres in the worlde; as in annointing and consecrating of Kings who were to be annointed of the priest, Num. 27.22. in asking counsell of God both for the ruler & the people, who were to go out and to come in at his word, in ruling and go­uerning the people together with the ciuill Magistrate, Psal. 77. Psal. 77.20. Thou leddest thy people like sheep by the hands of Mo­ses and Aaron. Lastly, in making a law, Deut. 17.12 that whosoeuer dealt presūptuously & wold not harkē to the priest should be put to death; yea y^e none shuld presume so much as to speak euil of him; Cypriā Corn. aduer. haeret. & ther fore S. Pa. (as Cyp. noteth) hauing cal­led Ananias the high Pr. a painted wal [Page 216]and being reproued by one that sayde vnto him, Act 23.3. Reuilest thou Gods high Priest; hee answered and excused the fact in saying, I wot not that hee was the high Priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speake euill of the Ruler of the people.

If God hath so highly honoured the Priests of the law, how much more doth he honour the Priests of the gos­pell? whose office and ministerie is far more excellent then theirs, as the A­postle reasoneth, 2. Cor. 3. If the mini­stration of death was glorious,2. Cor. 3.7.how shall not the ministratiō of the spirit be more glorious: and if the ministerie of cōdem­nation was glorious, how much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceede in glorie? Which honour giuen by God vnto the ministers of the Gospell, will appeare by adouble honour giuen vnto them; the one the honor of their office, the other the ho­nor of their person. The former wher­of is to be seene in diuers excellent and [Page 217]honorable dueties performed by their ministery. As first, in making of Chri­stians the most honourable calling in the world; for Christans are not borne but made as Saint Ierom sayes; Fiunt nō nas­cuntur Chri­stiani. Hier. ad Laetam. and that by the meanes and helpe of Gods mi­nisters in that holy and blessed Sacra­ment of Baptisme which they only haue power to administer; whereby they do also incorporate and ingraft them into the bodie and society of the Church, and doe consecrate and dedi­cate them vnto the profession and ser­uice of Christ. Secondly, in prea­ching the Gospell of Christ Iesus and publishing the glad tidings of saluati­on: which is an honour that God hath not vouchsafed vnto the Angelles, though farre more excellent in nature then wee are; giuing the law by them, but the Gospell by Christ & his Apo­stles and ministers; which things (saith Saint Pet.) the Angels desire stooping to behold, 1. Pet. 1.12. Thirdly, 1. Pet. 1.12. in admi­nistring and deliuering with our hands [Page 218]the Sacraments and visible signes and pledges of the most precious bodie and blood of the sonne of God, wher­by we obtaine not only redemption & forgiuenesse of our sins, but also peace and reconciliation and inheritance in the kingdome of heauen; where-as the priests of the lawe were occupied about sacrificing and killing of beasts and in burning of incense vpon the al­tar. Mat. 18, 18. Lastly, in hauing the keyes of the kingdome of heauen committed vn­to them, so as whatsoeuer they binde in earth, is bound in heauen, and what­soeuer they loose in earth, is loosed in heauen:Ioh. 20.20whose-soeuer sins they remit, they are remitted, & whose-soeuer sins they retaine they are retained: A power that God hath not communicated to any of the Angels; for to which of them hath hee sayd at any time, what­soeuer yee shall binde in earth is bound in heauen. Vppon which wordes Theophilact doth obserue that the ho­nour of the priesthood is diuine, be­cause [Page 219]it belongeth to God to forgiue sins. For the other, which is the honor that God hath bestowed vppon their person as they are ministers; that is to be seene in those honorable titles that he hath giuen vnto them, stiling them with the name of ministers, a title not only belonging vnto princes & gouer­nors who are called the ministers of God, Rom. 13, Rom. 13.4. but also vnto Christ who is called the minister of circumcision, Rom. 15.8. Rom. 15. in calling them men of God, fellow laborers with himselfe, Angels, Ambassadors, Rulers, stewards, starrs, lights, fathers, doctors, pastors, with a great many more besides; al which do shew in what great honor and reputa­tion they are with God. Which is also further seene in that order that God hath taken & the charge that hee hath giuen for the good intertainment & v­sage of them; prouiding not only for their indēnitie & safety, in that charge that he hath giuē of thē, Psa. 105. Psal. 105. touch not mine annointed and do my prophets [Page 220]no harme; but also for a worthy res­pect and regard to be had of thē, both concerning loue and hartie affection, and concerning reuerence and obedi­ence to be yeelded vnto them. 1. Thes. 5.12 Of loue; in admonishing men to know thē that labour among them, and are ouer them, and to haue them not in an euen kinde of loue which is [...], such as is found among friendes; but to haue thē in a higher and a superlatiue kinde of loue, which is [...], as the A­postle calles it, and that for their work sake, 1. Thess. 5. Of obedience; in char­ging men to obay them that haue the ouersight of them and to submit them­selues,Heb. 13.17.because they watch for their soules, as those that must giue account; that they may doo it with ioy and not with griefe, Heb. 13. Further in repu­ting the wrong done vnto them to bee done vnto himselfe. Zach. 2.8. Hee that toucheth you, sayth God, toucheth the apple of mine eye: and contrariwise, the loue and reuerence which is shewed vnto [Page 221]them, to be giuen vnto himselfe; hee that receiueth you, sayth Christ, recei­ueth me; and he that receiueth me,Mat. 10.40.re­ceiueth him that sent mee; like as a Prince esteemeth either the wrong or the honour done to his Embassadour, to be done to his owne person.

So that considering the great honor that God hath voutsafed to the Priests both of the law and of the Gospell, it is a wonder to see the maruailous neg­lect and contempt of the priesthood & ministerie here in the world. Is it be­cause God hath not honored them? No verily, he hath set a crowne of ho­nour vpon them, crowning them with honour and worshippe as Dauid spea­keth. What is the cause then? Psal. 8.6. Surely because Atheists, Epicures, and pro­fane worldlings haue dishonored thē: that as Christ sayth of the Iewes, I ho­nour my Father,Ioh. 8.49.but ye haue dishonored me; so it may truely bee sayd of them, that God hath honored his ministers, but they like miscreants and profane [Page 222]wretches haue dishonoured them, tur­ning their honour into shame by lo­uing vanitie and seeking lies, Psal. 4.2. Psal. 4.2. A sinne not like the sinne of the Amo­rites, of which it is sayd that the wic­kednesse of the Amorites is not yet full, Gen. Gen. 15.26. 15. but a sin full of impierie like a Cart pressed down that is ful of sheaues, Amos 2. Amos 2.13. and such an one as doth argue a want of all grace, and of all religion and piety and feare of God; there be­ing a iust estimate to bee taken of a mans religion by his behauiour and demeanour towarde Gods ministers. For howe is it possible, that any man that is in the state of grace and saluati­on should contemne or abuse the mi­nisters of God? who are the immedi­ate instruments which God doth vse to call them vnto both. And therfore wee may truly and safely conclude of such, as Ignatius doth, that whosoeuer shall despise the ministers of God, is an Atheist, Ignat. ad Trallianos. a profane wretch, and a despiser of God and all godlinesse. [Page 223]The Prophet Osee, when as hee would set out the desperate wickednesse of the people in his time, Osee, Osee. 4.4 4. sayth that they were like vnto them that cō ­tend with the Priest, as Pagnine, and Vatablus read it. Which doth intimate and insinuate that those that beginne once to contemne Gods ministers & to contend with them, they are come to the height of all wickednes, accor­ding to the saying of Salomon, Prou. 18.3 Prov. 18 3. Impius cùm in profundū venerit pec­catorum contemnit: which we may tru­ly expoūd after this sort, that a wicked man whē he is becom once a profoūd doctor in sin (for scelus nō tātū geritur sed docetur, saith Cypr. Cyprian. ad Demetrianū. sin is not only done, but taughtalso); then he sitteth in Cathedra pestilentiae, in the chair of the scornefull, and despiseth both God, his ministers and all religion. To which purpose Socrates reporteth in his Ec­clesiastical historie, of one Seuerianus a Bishop, to whom whenas one Serapi­on shewed a manifest contempt in not [Page 224]giuing that honor and reuerence that belonged vnto him, Si Serapion moriatur Christianus, certè Christus nunquam ho­mo factus est. Socrat. hist. eccl. lib 6. cap. 10. exclaimed against him after this manner, If Serapion die a Christian, then Christ was neuer made man: signifying that as it is most certaine that Christ was made man; so it is as certain that he that shall con­temne or despise Gods ministers, will neuer dye a good Christian, vnlesse hee repent him of his sinne.

The which neglect and contempt, besides the malice and wickednesse of the vngodly (which maketh them to hate Gods ministers, as being enemies to all vertue and godlinesse; according as Christ sayth to his Apostles, Because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world, Ioh. 15.19.therfore the world hateth you, Ioh. 15.) I suppose to pro­ceede also from an euill eye, not loo­king rightly vpon them with a single eye as they ought to doo; which ma­keth them so highly to contemne and to despise them. Of which some there are that looke only vpon the outwarde [Page 225]appearance of Ministers, being in out­ward shewe not so goodly nor so glo­rious in the eyes of the world as others are. 2. Cor. 10.4 Whereat the Apostle seemeth to ayme. 2. Cor. 10. who hauing giuen out great words of the power and ver­tue of the ministerie of the word, that it was able to cast downe strong holdes, & to bring into captiuity euery thought to the obedience of Christ; Hee addeth presently after this, Looke ye on things (saith hee) after the outwarde appea­rance? as if hee should say, 2. Cor. 10.7 If you re­garde Ministers by their outward shew there is no such matter in them: like as it was with our Sauiour Christ; who although hee was sayde to bee fayrer then the sonnes of men, Psalm. 45. Psal. 45.2 yet in regarde of his outwarde shewe, men did not see any thing in him wor­thy to be desired. Esa. 53. Esa. 53.2 And therfore Herod and his souldiers when-as they looked vpon his outwarde appearance only with their bodily eies, Luke 23.11 they despised him (saith the text) & mocked at him. [Page 226]So did those beardless boyes in mock­ing the Prophet, 2. Kin. 2.23 and calling him bald­pate. 2. Kin 9.11 2. Kings 2. So did Iehu his com­panions in making the Prophet no bet­ter then a mad-cap, saying; What did this mad fellow heere? 2. Kings 9. So shall you see it every where, where the eye only is the iudge, & looketh more to the outwarde then to the inwarde man. But as we doe not despise golde because it is sound in clay; so ought we not to despise Gods Ministers, 2. Cor. 4.7 because they carry their heauenlie treasure in earthen vessells; but rather to followe the example of that worthy Constan­tine, Euseb. de vita Constant. lib. 1. cap. 35 of whom Eusebius reporteth that he did loue & honour the Ministers of God, not considering the outward man which is seen with the eyes of the body, but the inward man which is seen with the eyes of the minde: and therefore he would many times (as the same Au­thor saith) set them at his owne table with him, and haue them in his compa­ny whithersoeuer he went; for whose [Page 227]sake he verely belieued that God would blesse and prosper him the better in all his businesse.

Others there are, that look only vpon their outwarde and meane estate in the world, and the crosses and troubles which they suffer manie times; as the Iewes and others did vpon Christ, who despised him in regard of his birth and his pouertie, and his meane condition and reputation in the world; somtimes disgracing him with his countrey, that he was a Galilean; Mar. 6.3 somtimes with his Parents, that he was a carpenters sonne; somtimes with his friends & acquain­tance, Mat. 11.19 that he was a friend of Publicans and sinners; sometimes with his ob­scurenesse, and the small account and estimation hee was in, Ioh. 7.48 that none of the Rulers, but onely the vulgar sort did beleeue in him. So did they with the Prophets, and the Apostles, despising them for their want, and those manifold persecutions which they indured. But as wee doe not esteeme a sworde by the [Page 228]scabberd, nor a dagger by the sheath (for as the Prouerbe is, there may bee a golden or a painted sheath, and a wodden dagger) so we ought not to e­steem of Gods Ministers by their mean estate, and by their crosses and trou­bles in the world: which God would haue them sometimes to suffer, not to the end that any should contēne them; but rather that seeing their faith, their patience & their constancy, they migh [...] imitate and follow, yea admire and ho­nour them for it. It is a signe of a base and an abiect mind, yea of a soule alto­gether deiected & cleauing to the du [...] of the earth, to esteem basely of Gods seruants in any outward respects; as i [...] the soule knewe no better things the [...] the outward & transitory things of th [...] world; or as if all the felicitie & happi­ness of man did consist in thē. We read of the Galathians, that they were so fa [...] from despising S. Gal. 4.13 Paul for his pouertie and his troubles and persecutions, tha [...] they receiued him as an Angel of God [Page 229]yea as Christ Iesus; insomuch that if it had bin possible, they would haue pluc­ked out their owne eyes to haue giuen them vnto him. Sozom. ecel. hist. li. 7. cap. 13. The people of Medio­lanus were so far from despising S. Am­brose their Bishop, for the troubles and vexations which he suffred of the Ar­rians, that when-as Valentinian by the perswasion of his mother Iustina sent a band of souldiers into the Temple to say hands vpon him and to carrie him into exile; the whole people that was in the Church hearing him preach, re­sisted the souldiers and would not suffer them to offer him the least violēce: say­ing, that they would all of thē lose their liues there, before they would lose their Bishop. And Constantine the great was so farre from despising Paphnutius for his outward condition, Socr. hist ec­cl. lib. 1. cap. 8 and for the per­secution which hee suffred of the hea­thē, that as Socrates reporteth, hee had him in great honour, and would many times send for him to his court, & in the presēce of his courtiers kiss the place of [Page 230]his right eye which hee had lost in the persecution.

Wherefore to conclude this point, as our Sauiour Christ saith in another case, Quos Deus coniunxit homo non se­paret, Those whom God hath ioyned together, let no man put asunder: so, those whome God hath honoured, let no man presume to dishonour by con­temning and despising them for anie cause; Bern. de Ad­nen. domini ser. 3. but rather, as Saint Bernard doth aduise and exhort, to giue all re­uerence and obedience vnto them, as vnto Christ, whose deputies and vice­gerents they are: whereof the one, to weet our reuerence, is inwarde, and of the heart: the other, to weet our obe­dience is outwarde, and of the bodie; because it is not sufficient outwardely to honour them, vnlesse inwardly wee haue a reuerent opinion and estimation of them. And if the life and conuer­sation happely of any shall be so crimi­nous and notorious, that it cannot ad­mit any excuse or defence: yet notwith­standing [Page 231]to reuerence and to respect him for his sake, who hath giuen this power vnto him; giuing it not to the merit of his person, but to the ordi­nance of God, and to the dignity of his office: Thom. 2. so­cunda quast. 25. who as hee is a Minister ought to be loued and to bee reuerenced for that which is of God in him; that is, for his diuine ministerie which he hath receiued of God. Like as we reade of Alexander the great, who going to besiege Ierusalem, Ioseph. Anti: lib. 11. cap. 8 and seeing the high Priest in his pontificall attire to come towards him, lighted from his horse & saluted the high Priest: whereat Parme­nio, one of his followers disdaigning, asked him why hee did reuerence to the Priest of the Iewes, when-as the whole world almost did reuerence and adoration vnto Him; to whom hee answred, that he did not the reuerence so much vnto him, as vnto God whose Priest he was; who appeared vnto me (saith he) in this very form of attire be­ing in Macedonia, and promised that [Page 232]by his conduct and helpe I should con­quere and subdue all Asia. Which if heathen by the light of Nature could see and performe; what a shame is it to Christians, who haue a far greater light which is the light of grace shining in them, if they shall not bee able to dis­cerne and to do as much. And therfore the conclusion of this, shall be the ad­uertisement which our Sauiour Christ giueth vnto the Lawyer, Luke. 10.37 Luke 10. Vade & fac tu similiter, goe and do thou also the like. Thus much for the second dutie in the charge, viz. to shew him­selfe vnto the Priest. The third is to of­fer his gift, in the next words; And of­fer thy gift, as Moses commaunded, &c.

It was a law among the Iewes, as we may read in the Leuitical law; that such persons as were clensed of the leprosie, should offer 2. Leuit. 14 pigeons, or 2. sparrowes for their cleansing, with a certaine mea­sure of fine flowre & a pint of oyle, and the priest to perform certaine rites and ceremonies withall; after which the Le­per [Page 233]being pronoūced clean by the sen­tence of the Priest, was to bee receiued & to be reputed as a clean person. The reason whereof was that the leper might giue thanks vnto God & might testifie his thankfulnesse, by his gift that he of­fred vnto him. Which was the cause that God cōmanded in the law, the first born and the first fruits, and the tenth part of all their increase to be offred & giuen vnto him. For, seeing the earth is the Lords and all the fulnesse thereof: Psalm. 24 therfore God to put vs in remembrance of his vniuersall dominion, and to ac­knowledge him to be the author & gi­uer of all, hee hath ordained and ap­pointed vs to offer a part vnto him; that so wee might acknowledge his bountie, and testifie our homage and thankefulnesse towards him. Not that God hath neede hereof: for as hee him­selfe sayth, Psal. 50.10 All the beasts of the forrest are mine, and so are the cattell vpon a thousand hilles. If I bee hungrie I will not tell thee: for the whole world is mine [Page 234]and all that is therein.Deu [...] qui dig­natus est totū dare, decimā a nobis dig­natur accipe­re, non sibi sed nobis pro­futurā. Aug. de Temp. ser. 219. Philo de pram. sacer­dotum.Psalm. 50; but for the vse of his seruice and wor­ship, and for the maintenance of the Priests and Leuites, who were emploi­ed, and laboured in his seruice; it be­ing a thing most iust and meet (as Philo faies) that some testimonie of thanke­fulnesse should bee shewed out of our temporall goods, for the most large and manifolde benefits that God hath bestowed vpon vs; wherof, forasmuch as the authour and giuer of all hath no neede, Psal. 16. (for, as Dauid sayth, Psalm. 16. My goods doe not extende vnto thee, or, thou hast no neede of my goods) they ought to redound to the Ministers of the Temple, and to those that are the Curators, and haue the charge of holy things. And therfore God according­ly after such time as hee had separated the tribe of Leui from the other tribes, & had made the Priests office, an office of seruice, Num. 18.17 as it is called, Numb. 18: that which hee reserued vnto himselfe, & commanded to be offered vnto him, [Page 235]in recognition of his dominion, hee bestowed the vse and profit thereof vp­on the Priests and Leuites for their maintenance & seruice in the taberna­cle; so as the first fruits, tenths, obla­tions, and the sacrifices that were offe­red became dewe to the Priests and Le­uites, for their vse and benefit, hauing that interest and propertie in the tenth part of their goods at the least, Nahum. 10 which they themselues had in the other nine parts. The which I suppose to be a law not meerly ceremoniall or iudiciall, as som do thinke, belonging to the Iewes only; but also in some respects naturall and morall belonging vnto Christians. For, howsoeuer certain accidents and circumstances thereof doe not belong vnto vs, viz. that not the second, or third, but the first fruits should be offe­red, that the tenth should not be recei­ued before it was offered in the Tem­ple and hallowed, and that the oblati­ons should be offered euery yeare vp­pon a certaine time prescribed and ap­pointed [Page 236]for it; I say though these rites and ceremonies doe not belong vnto vs necessarily, as beeing not tyed nor bound to the ceremoniall and iu­diciall lawes of that people; yet not­withstanding, the substance and equity, and the proportion and end of that law dooth belong vnto vs: which is, a testi­monie of our gratitude and thankeful­nesse vnto God, and a bountifull main­tenance of those that serue at the altar; as the Apostle sheweth not onely out of the law of Moses, but also by the law of Nature. 1. Cor. 9.7 1. Cor. 9. the quantitie and proportion whereof, ought neyther to bee lesse then the allowance of the Priests (forasmuch as the Ministers of the Gospel are not inferiour but rather superiour vnto them) nor yet lesse then the tenth part of mens goods, because the law of Nature which is the morall lawe written in our hearts, or else som diuine instinct agreeable to this lawe, did teach Abraham before the ceremo­niall & iudiciall lawe of Moses, Gen. 14 to paie [Page 237]the tenth part of Melchisedech the Priest of the high God; as a thing fitting and beseeming both reason, right, & equity. In which regard it is receiued for a sure & vndoubted truth of the best Diuines, that the tenth part of a mans goods at the least is dew to the Ministers of God and to holy and charitable vses; not so much by a positiue lawe of men, as by the diuine and immutable law of God.

To which I thinke fit to adde one thing more: viz. that although those lawes of first fruits, tenths, and oblati­ons, beeing considered in the ceremo­nial and iudicial respects therof, do not bind christians now, as they were com­manded to be offered to the Leuiticall Priests, which Priesthood is now abro­gated and an other come in the place of it (for so they were meerly iudicial & did concern none but them); yet not­withstanding, the Church hath libertie to ordain & make laws for the mainte­nance of the ministery by such tithes & oblations, &c. as were then paid to the [Page 238]Priests; they so beeing iudiciall lawes vnto them, that they may also not vn­lawfully be iudiciall lawes vnto vs; be­ing now in the iudiciall regarde, of the nature of things indifferent; which the Church hath libertie and power to vse and dispose as it shall thinke most fit & meete for the good and benefit therof. And thus may we see, how the vse of tithes and oblations hath beene obser­ued a long time in former ages, and in the auncient Churches, as a thing most iust and equall betweene the Pastor, & the People, and the same proportion that was first appointed by God him­self. For tithes, we read of diuers Coun­cels which haue made diuers lawes for the payment of them; some admoni­shing that tithes bee truely paide with­out fraud: Concil. Mo­gunt. cap. 17. Admonemus &c. as the Councell of Mentz; We admonish that no man neglect to pay his tithes: for it is to be feared that if anie doe withholde from God his dewe, God will for his sinne withhold such things as are necessarie for him; [Page 239]some inflicting the pain of excommu­nication for the neglect and defaulte hereof: as the Councel of Colen; Concil. Colon. cap. 18 They that neglect to paie their tithes, let them bee excommunicated: againe, they that being thrice admonished doe not pay their full tithe, let them be deni­ed the Communion. For oblations, the Church hath a long time had an auncient custome, that whosoeuer came to receiue the Lords Supper, if he were of ability, he should offer som­thing to God for the vse of Gods Mini­sters, and of the poore, in token of their thankfulnesse to God. In which regard S. Cyprian ser. de eleemosy­na. Cyprian doth sharply reproue a rich woman for comming into Gods house without a sacrifice as hee calls it, that is without an oblation, not so much as looking vnto the Corban to cast hir of­fering into it. The deuout Father doth aske her how shee can celebrate the praise of God, when as shee commeth emptie handed vnto the altar, without a sacrifice. On the other side, Saint [Page 240] Austen doth highly commend his mo­ther Monica, Aug. Confel. lib. 5. cap. 9. that she was carefull mor­ning and euening to repaire to Gods house; where after the offering vp of her praiers, she was wont to offer an ob­lation or a gift at the altar also. Which practice seemeth to haue been deriued from the practice of the Apostls in the Primitiue Church, 1. Cor. 11. where the custome was that rich men did offer liberally for themselues & the poore, such things as were necessarie both to the celebra­tion of the Lords supper, and to the celebratiō of their feasts of loue, which they vsed to keep. The which commen­dable custom, as Zanchius fayth, is now left; and after the Word preached, and the holy Supper administred, there is nothing but a beggerly casting of som­thing into the poore mans boxe: and that of the most for fashion sake, with­out regarde either of a dew proportion in offering according to the measure which God hath giuen vnto them, or of the end for which they doe it; which [Page 241]is, to testifie their thankfulnesse to God for his benefits bestowed vpon them.

Now from hence, as from the Ri­uer of Eden, which was diuided into foure heads, Gen. 2. are deriued foure propositions very remarkable & wor­thy of due consideration. The first is, that the maintenance of Gods mini­sters is not a policy of men, but an or­dinance of God; due vnto them, by a diuine right, that is by the law and or­dinance of God, who hath giuen that part which hee reserued for himselfe, vnto his ministers for their sustentatiō, and maintenance. Which appeareth further not only by the lawe of Moses, which was that they should not muz­zle the mouth of the Oxe, 1. Tim. 5.8. that trea­deth out the corne (which the Apostle applyeth to the maintenance of Gods ministers, 1. Tim. 5) but also by the law of nature and of nations, & the or­dinance & approbation of Christ him­self, as the same Apostle sheweth most plentifully, saying, 1. Cor. 9.7. Who goeth on war­fare [Page 242]at any time at his owne cost? who planteth a vineyard & eateth not of the fruit thereof? and who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milk of the flocke? Againe, do ye not know that they which minister about the holy things, eate of the things of the temple; and they which wayte at the Altar are partakers with the Altar? so also hath the Lord or­dayned that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell. The which doth plainely shewe, that the maintenance of ministers is not a voluntarie and a beggerly almes gi­uen in charitie vnto them, but an hono rable stipend allotted by God and due in iustice vnto them; according to that which Christ sayth, dignus est operari­us mercede, the laborer is worthy of his reward. Philo do praem. sacerd. & honoribus. To which purpose, Philo hath verie well obserued, that the people of the Iewes were commanded to bring their oblations into the Temple, that there the priests might receiue them as from the hands of God to whom they [Page 243]belonged, least otherwise the people should vpbrayde the Priest, as if hee were behoulding vnto them for a be­neuolence. For as the same authour sayth, whosoeuer receiueth a gift frō God, who bestoweth liberally vpon all, he doth receiue it with lesse shame­fastnesse then if hee should receiue it from men only.

Yea, verily, God in his wisedome did not see it fitte and meete that his ministers should liue of the almes and the beneuolence of the peo­ple; but rather that they shoulde haue a sure and certaine mainte­nance, which by lawe and right they might clayme and challenge as due vnto them; and that for diuers waigh­tie, and important causes. First, to the ende that their mindes should not bee distracted nor troubled with worldly care for their necessary pro­uision; to which they should be verie subiect, if they liued vppon the vo­luntarie contributions of the people, [Page 244]who happely at one time would giue verie liberally, and at an other time vp­on the least displeasure vtterly with­draw their beneuolence from them. Secondly, to maintaine the dignitie & reputation of their ministerie, that they might not bee forced either to begge and tell their want to euerie pezant, and low prisde fellow, and to receiue a great part of their benetio­lence of scandalous & notorious wic­ked persons, which were not fitte for them to do; or else thorow pietie and modestie to suffer extreame want and penutie, which were lesse m [...]ete and seemely for the honour and credite of the profession. Thirdly, that they might not bee driuen either to bee [...], 2. Cor. 2.17. that is to corrupt and to adulterate the worde of God as Vintners do their wine by mixing water with it (for so the word signify­eth, which sheweth the practise to be an olde mysterie of iniquitie) or else to be [...], [...] Cor. 4 2. that is to handle [Page 245]the word of God deceitfully, therby to please the fancies & humours of men, and to make a gaine and a benefit vnto themselues: which perhaps some not very wel disposed would be glad to do, if they liued only vpon the gratuities & charitable deuotions of the people. Fourthly, that they might not lose their liberty & boldnes in their ministry, be­ing glad to flatter & to glose & to claw euetie one, by sowing pillowes vnder the [...]elbows & dawbing with vntēpe­red morter; but cōtrariwise to reproue and rebuke freely and boldly the sinnes of all sort [...] of people, euē of the richest and mightiest of all. Which they shall bee better able to doo hauing a certaine and sure maintenance, then hauing only a voluntarie allowance; because such as depēd vpon beneuo­lēce will fear least by vsing the libertie and boldnesse of their ministery in re­buking and reproouing sinne, they should thereby lose both the fauour and the beneuolence of those that are [Page 246]perhaps the best benefactors vnto them. Which I suppose to haue beene the chiefe cause that godly and religi­ous Princes in former times wold not permit Bishops & the rest of the cler­gie to receiue allowance and mainte­nance of euerie one of the people; Euseb. de vita Constāt. but first of all did giue them bounti­full allowance out of their owne trea­suries and excheckers, and afterwards gaue diuers Lands, demaynes, and possessions vnto the Church: which they did no doubt in great wisedom; seeing it to bee more conuenient, both in regard of the ministers, for the performance of their dueties, & in regard of the people for their profit & benefitte.

The second propositionis, that the maintenance of ministers ought to be a liberall and a bountifull mainte­nance; forasmuch as they had not only Cities and Suburbes allorted vnto them to dwell in; Num. 35.4. but also the first fruites, and the redemption of [Page 247]the first borne, oblations, vowes, sa­crifices and the tenth part of all the fruits and increase to maintaine and to keep them withall.

The truth of which doctrine is iustified not only by the iudiciall lawe of Moses; but also by the lawe of Na­tions in Pharaoh his Priests, Gen. 47. Gen. 47.22. who had lands and liuings belon­ging vnto them to maintaine them; which lands they were not forced to sell when-as all the rest of the peo­sould their landes to buy them corne withall; neither would Ioseph med­dle with them, but they had an ordi­dinarie allowance of Pharaoh to liue vppon. Which is also fur­ther confirmed in the newe Testa­ment: where the Apostle speaking of ministers sayth, That the elders that rule well are worthie of double ho­nour,1. Tim. 5.17especially those that labour in the word of God, and in doctrine; that is of an honest and a liberall stipend, as the Apostle expoundeth it in the next [Page 248]words; for it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that trea­deth out the corne; as if hee should say, the leane & bare plight that ministers are in, shewes plainely that their mouthes haue beene muzzled con­trarie to the lawe; therefore see that you muzzle them no more, but let them eate their fill of the corne that they tread out; for the labourer is wor­thy of his meate. Wherin it is worthy the obseruation, that the Apostle cal­leth the ministers maintenance by the name of an honour; because as a base and a beggerly allowance maketh to the discredit of the ministerie, as if the calling were base and contemptible and not worthy of regard: so a libe­rall and a bountifull allowance ma­keth for the honour and countenance of the ministerie; to shewe that the calling is honourable and worthie of an honourable rewarde. The like wee reade afterwarde when as the Church had Christian kings and prin­ces, [Page 249]who became nursing Fathers, and nursing mothers thereof, the Church was maruaylously inriched by the libe rall and bountifull donations of god­ly and zealous princes & others, who gaue houses and Lands, Castles and Townes for the prouision and main­tenance of the Clergie; which conti­nued a long time afterwarde in many ages following, and doth yet still in all well ordered Churches and Commō ­weales. For as Philo verse well noteth, Philo de praem. & hon. sacerd. the large and plentifull prouision of li­uing for Gods ministers is an euident argument both of publike pietie, and of a diligent obseruation of lawes: contrariwise, want and penurie, and scarsitie of maintenance doth vpbraid vs with contempt both of religion and of lawes; of which if there were that regard that there ought to be, the ministers of God should not only haue a necessary but a plentiful main­tenance.

So then the prouision and the liuing [Page 250]of ministers by the lawe of God, by the lawe of Nations, by the lawe of Christ, and by the lawe of Christian Princes, is not a bare and beggerly al­lowance, like vnto the Leuites wages, Iudg. Iudg. 17.10. 17. which was 10 shekels of siluer, a suite of apparrell and his meate and drinke; the allowance which many knights and gentlemen vse to make, who hauing gotten an Impropriati­on in their hands, will hire some one or other for fiue poundes or twentie nobles a yeare to serue the cure; and (if hee were able) to teach their children too: and may I not truely say, the allowance of some rich Citizens also? who being possessed not only of wealth, but also of store and plentie in great abundance; doo out of this their rich treasure, make that allowance vnto their minister yeerely for his maintenance, which for verie shame they will not offer to one of their seruants for his hire, nor to a poore schoolemafter for [Page 251]his wages to teach their children their Abce, and to learn their letters of him. And yet (forsooth) some of these will looke to rule and sway, and to bee great masters and commanders in a parish, though their duties and allow­ance vnto their ministers bee iust the same with them, that take the charitie and the almes of the parish. This, I say, is not that allowance that is due vnto Gods ministers by the law of God and of Christian Princes (whose godly lawes are wrested and peruerted by the fraude and cunning of these kind of men) but a bountifull and an ho­norable maintenance, hauing not on­ly sufficiencie for necessarie vse; but also plentie for delight and comfort too. In regard whereof, the law pro­uided that the first fruites of all in­crease, as of corne, wine, oyle, and the pleasant fruites of trees should bee of­fred vnto the Priests, Philo de praem. & hon. sacerd. (as Philo doth ob­serue) to the ende that they might not liue hardly, hauing only so much as is [Page 252]necessarie to holde the body and soule together; but that they might liue cheerfully and comfortably, in hauing wherewith to solace & to delite them­selues withall: insomuch that this an­cient author, casting vp an account of all kinde of oblations which were of­fred vnto the Priests, sayth, that by the lawe of God they were not much in­feriour vnto Princes, hauing a conti­nuall tribute (as he calles it) payd vnto them as Princes haue.

Therefore let no man grudge nor repine at the liuinges of mini­sters, as if euerie thing were too much that the minister hath, when as them­selues canne bee content to possesse tenne times as much, and yet for all this, thinke that they haue not halfe inough; seeing that this their murmuring is not against Gods mi­nisters but against God himselfe, Exod. 16. who hath giuen the tenth part of their goods from himselfe vnto them, for their maintenance and for other ho­ly [Page 253]and charitable vses; that so they might not liue hardly, but liberally; not to take an almes, but to bee able to giue almes and to relieue others. Now, shall men enuie and repine a­gainst them for this? GOD for­bid. What were this else but to im­peach Gods wisedome and to mur­mure at his goodnesse and bountie towardes them? Mat. 20. Those laborers that murmured against the housholder for giuing as much vnto the last as vnto the first, what aunswere did they re­ceiue for it? Friend, sayth hee to one of them, I doo thee no wrong, did I not agree with thee for a penny? tolle quod tuum est & vade, take that which is thine owne and go thy way, I will giue as much to this last as vnto thee: is it not lawfull for mee to doo with mine own what I wil? is thine eye euill because I am good? So verily God will say to these enuious and maliti­ous men; My friende, why doest thou grudge and repine against [Page 254]my seruants, for my bountie and large allowance that I haue giuen vnto them? Is it any wrong to thee to see mee liberall and beneficiall vnto o­thers? what if I would, to shewe my loue and bountie to my Apostles and ministers, giue vnto them mine owne part which is due vnto my selfe, what is this to thee? Is it not lawfull for mee to doe with mine owne what I will? wilt thou bee euill because I am good? Goe to; tolle quod tuum est & vade, take that which is thine own and go thy way; I haue dealt wel and bountifully with thee in giuing nine parts vnto thee, and in giuing but one part, viz. the tenth vnto them: content thy selfe with it, and doo not enuie nor murmure anie more, least I take away the nine parts from thee, and giue the tenth vn­to thee.

The third proposition is, that the tenths and oblations with other pro­fittes and emoluments doo belong to [Page 255]the ministers of God, not to any others; forasmuch as God gaue his part to the Priests and Leuites for their mainte­nance; and therefore ought not to bee diuerted or conuerted to the vse of lay men, who haue no right nor interest ei­ther in Gods tenth or in any other goods of the Church. For seeing that in the matter of tithes and oblatiōs & of all other ecclesiasticall profits, there is a mutuall giuing and receiuing, as the Apostle speaketh, Phil. 4. Phil. 4.15. the mi­nister giuing spirituall things, and the people giuing carnall and temporall things for them; what reason or equi­tie canne there bee, that those that may not, nor doo not performe the one, should bee partakers of the o­ther, or that they should liue vpon the Altar, that doo not serue at the Altar? The dignities and reuenewes of the Church do belong to such as are inti­tled vnto thē, by a lawful power & au­thority receiued frō God, to manage & discharge the duties and offices therof, [Page 256]according to that which Philo repor­teth of the law among the Iewes, Philo Iud. lib. 2. de Monarch. that it doth not permitte any to reape those fruites and profits which are holy vn­to God; but only those that are of the order of the Priesthood, though o­therwise hee be of the same Country, & nobly descended & adorned with rare and excellent vertues: whereof hee giueth this reason, because it is not meete that sacrifices and other cere­monies of the Altar should bee com­mitted to the Priests, & the honours and profits to bee communicated to lay persons; nor is it seemely that the Priests should take care, and labour day and night, and the rewarde to bee bestowed vpon those that are idle and take no paines for it. Therefore to a­lienate or detaine the goods and reue­newes of the Church, which are ori­ginally due vnto God, and by a deede of gift due vnto his ministers, cannot bee without manifest wrong and iniu­rie to God and to the Church: which [Page 257]maketh God to complaine as he doth, Mal. 3.8. Mal. 3. Will any man (sayth hee) spoile his gods? yet haue ye spoiled me; but yee say, wherein haue we spoiled thee? in tithes & offerings, &c. How in tithes and offerings? partly, by conuerting them to temporall and priuate vses, as many couetous Patrons doe, in reser­uing their own tithes vnto thēselues, 1. Sam. 8.15 & in giuing nothing at al vnto God; part­ly by embezeling & diminishing some part therof by fraude and cunning, as many both in the Country and the Ci­tie vse to doe, by concealements, Act. 5.2 and by diuers couenous trickes and deuises which they haue; and so not giuing all, but a part of that which is dewe vnto him. For which cause he telleth them that they are cursed with a curse, and, doth straightly charge them, to bring all manner of tithes into his storehouse, Mal. 3.10that there may be meat in his house; that is, into the Temple, to maintaine the Priests and the poore with it; not into their owne barnes, and their houses, to [Page 258]maintayne them and their brauerie withall. 1. Sam. 21 The shewe-bread was not for euery man to eat of, but for the Priests; neither is the meate of Gods house, for the vse of euery man, but for the vse of the Priests. It is a sure maxime in diui­nitie, that those things that are dedica­ted and consecrated vnto God, cannot be alienated nor conuerted to ciuil vses afterwards: but doe from thenceforth become the proper possession of God, & of those to whom God doth make an assignation thereof; and therfore who­soeuer shall profane holy things, either by offring violence vnto them, or by employing them to their owne priuate vses, they do cast themselues headlong into very eminent danger, & doe bring a feareful destruction vpon themselues; for as Salomon saies, Laqueus est homi­ni deuorare sancta, it is destructiō vn­to a man to deuoure that which is sanc­tified.Prou. 20.25Pro. 20. The very heathen obser­ued, Virgil. lib. 2. Aeneid. that after such time as the Greciās once offred violence to the Temple of [Page 259] Pallas, Lactant. de origine err. cap. 4 that they lost all their hope and neuer thriued nor prospred after it: Lac­tantius writing against the errour and profanenesse of the heathen, reporteth of diuers who haue bin grieuously pu­nished among thē, for offring violence vnto holy things; as namely, of Fului­us the Censor, who for taking away cer­taine marmoreas tegulas, tiles of mar­ble out of the Temple of Iuno Lacini­a, Lact. de orig. err. cap. 8. was within a short time after di­straught of his wittes, and had two of his sonnes slayne: for griefe whereof hee himselfe dyed also: of Appius Claudius, who for translating and alie­nating onely those things that were consecrated to Hercules, within a while after lost the vse of both of his eyes. And although Dionysius made but a rest of sacriledge, in taking a gol­den cloake that was vppon the image of Iupiter Olympius, and putting a wollen cloake vpon it insteade there­of, saying, that a golden cloak was too heauy in summer & too cold in winter, [Page 260]but a linsie wolsy cloak was fit for both; also in cutting off a golden beard that Aesculapius did weare; saying, that i [...] was no reason that the sonne shoulde haue a beard, when as Apollo his Fa­ther had none; furthermore, in taking away certaine golden cups which they held forth in their hands, saying, that it were great folly and madnesse not to take them being so kindly offered; al­though I say Dionysius did al this with­out present punishment (for afterward hee was driuen out of his kingdome) laughing and scoffing to his compani­ons, who feared that hee would haue suffred shipwrack for his sacriledge; do you not see (sayth he) how prosperous a voiage the gods do giue to those that commit sacriledge? yet notwithstan­ding Pirrhus for robbing the treasurie of Proserpina, suffred shipwracke not farre from the shore; where himselfe, his men, & his other goods were drow­ned, & nothing found again of all, but onely the mony that hee had taken out [Page 261]of the tresury. What should I tel you of Zerxes, who sending 400. Iustin. hist [...] lib. 2. of his soul­diers to Delphos, to spoile the Temple of Apollo, they were euery one of them destroyed and burnt with thunder, and lightning. Of Marcus Crassus, Ioseph. Ant. li. 14. cap. 12 who for taking a great summe of money out of the Temple of Ierusalē, which Pompey in a kind of piety would not touch nor meddle withall (which sum amounted to ten thousand talents) within a while after making an inuasion vpon the Par­thians, he perished there with his whole armie. Let these passe & let vs cast our eyes a while vpon diuine histories, and the histories of the Church; there shal you see Baltazar for profaning & abu­sing the holy vessells which Nabuchad­nezzar had taken in the spoile of Ieru­salem, Dan. 5.23 and had laide vp in the Temple of his owne god, fearing to conuert them to his owne vse as Iosephus in his antiquities discourseth vpon that histo­rie, Ioseph. Ant. li. 10. cap. 12 and for drinking and carowsing in them among his Princes, his Courtiers [Page 262]and his Concubines, with certain blas­phemous words, which hee vttered a­gainst the euer-liuing God; receiued presently a fearefull doome & sentence by a hand-writing vpon the wall, which did wonderfully affright and astonish him, making his ioynts to loose and his knees to knock together: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Vpharsin. The interpretation whereof is, that God had numbred his kingdome and had finished it, and that God had diuided it, and giuen it to the Medes and Persians. There may wee see also Antiochus Epiphanes, 1. Mac. 6.12 who per­ceiuing the time of his death not to be farre off, called his friends vnto him, & sheweth them both the grieuousnesse of his disease & the cause of it, viz. that he suffered all his pain & misery, for ta­king the vessels of gold and siluer out of the Temple of Ierusalem, and for de­stroying the inhabitants thereof with­out cause. 1. Mac. 6.12. There may we likewise see Herod, Ioseph. Ant. li. 16. cap. 11 surnamed the great, who hauing opened Dauids sepulchre [Page 263]to take mony out of it as Hircanus had done before, who tooke from thence 3000. talents of siluer, lost two of his souldiers, or of his guarde there, who were consumed by a flash of fire that brake forth of a secret place; so as hee was glad to depart thēce for very feare: after which time his house decayed and fell to ruine; which was a iust re­warde and punishment of his wicked­nesse. Looke vnto the age that succee­ded and followed after, I meane the time of the Gospel, before the Church was altogether established: beholde Ananias and Saphira for withholding secretly part of that, Act. 5.5 which they had vo­luntarily giuen to the vse of the church, most seuerely punished with suddaine death. After this when the Church was established, and indued with great ri­ches and possessions by the bountifull donations of godlie Emperours, and other deuout Christians, Iulian the Apostata, and Felix his companion, Theodoret. eccl. hist. lib. 3. cap. 11, 12 (as Theodoret reporteth) for taking [Page 264]away the holy vesselles of the Temple (where one of them pissed against the Communion table, and strooke one that would haue hindred him from it; saying that God did not take any care of Christians and that his prouidence did not reach vnto them; the other, see­ing the magnificence of the holy vessels derided and scoffed most wickedly and blasphemously after this manner: Ec­ce quàm sumptuosis vasis filio Mariae ministratur, Behold with what sump­tuous vessells the sonne of Marie is ser­ued): these two monsters I say, for ta­king awaie the holy vessells, and ma­king but a iest of sacriledge, receiued both of them two iust punishments, worthie of their blasphemous sacri­ledge; the one hauing his mouth which was an instrument of blasphemy, made a siege or a passage to voide his filthie excrements, which are naturally in all men egested an other waie; the other hauing all the bloud of his body gathe­red to his mouth as to a sinke: which he [Page 265]neuer left spetting and spauling out, till all was exhausted, and so died most mi­serably. I will not ransacke our owne Chronicles, nor report of the iust iudg­ments that haue lighted vpon diuers of our owne nation, for this horrible sin; whereof some haue beene authors and contriuers; others actors and ab­bettors of the wracke and spoyle of the Church. Those that are men of experi­ence are able to say more out of their owne knowledge then I am able to tell them; neither do I list to complain and to expostulate of the strange courses that haue beene taken in alienating the goods of the Church to temporall & profane vses, onely for the abuse of them; making thus wounds of their medicines, Qui scriptu­ras malè intel ligunt de me­dicamentis vulnera sibi faciunt. Aug. de Temp. ser. 61 as Saint Austen speaketh in an other case, and making the last er­ror worse then the first; they erring ig­norantly in the Assumption, thinking poperie and superstition to be the true seruice of God; these erring malitiously in the maine Proposition, thinking that [Page 266]that which was generally giuen to the seruice & worship of God, may vtterly be taken away for the superstition and abuse thereof; whereas the superstition should haue beene taken away, and the goods remained to the true seruice & worship of God, according to the intēt and meaning of the donors: whose ge­nerall intent and end was the seruice of God, though in the particular matter and forme therof they were foulely de­ceiued. So should the willes of the dead haue beene performed, the goods of the church rightly employed, pietie and religion better maintained, and the seruice and glory of God better aduan­ced. But it is a booteless thing to com­plaine hereof, beeing like vnto an old festured sore that will hardly be cured; not because there is no balme in Gi­lead, Ier. 8.22. nor any Physition there to recouer it, but because those that are sick of this disease will not be healed; of whom we may say as the Prophet saith of the ob­stinate and stubborne Iewes, Ier. 51.9. we would [Page 267]haue healed them; but they woulde not bee healed. Onely I will aduise and ad­monish all men (because [...] are [...] the sufferings of others are instructions vnto vs, these arrowes of Gods iudgements which hee hath shot beyond vs being like Ionathans ar­rowes to giue warning vnto vs) to take heede and to beware how they deale and meddle with sacred & holy things, 1. Sā. 2 c. 20 either by alienating & giuing of them, or by selling & buying of them, or by any kind of purloining and diminishing of them, & to discerne and put a diffe­rence betweene spirituall & temporall things, between holy & profane things, betweene the goods of the world & the goods of God. When wee giue let vs not giue away that which is Gods, whē we sell let vs not sel that which is Gods, when we buy let vs not buy that which is Gods, when we hoord and lay vp, Nolo quis ha­beat contra Deum, ne non habeat Deū. Bern. epist. 272 let vs not lay vp that which is Gods; least by possessing that which is Gods, wee deserue to be dispossessed of God him­selfe. [Page 268] Iosephus reporteth in the warres of the Iewes, Iosephus de bello Iudaico lib. 7. that a little before the Temple of Ierusalem was destroyed, there were certaine voyces of Angells heard there, which said, Migremus hinc, let vs bee gone; signifying, that ney­ther God nor his blessed Angels do de­light to dwell where sacrilegious Church-robbers are; who may fitlie be compared vnto Iudas, Iudas fur sa­crilegus, non qualiscun (que) fur, fur locu­lorū, sed Do­minicorum, loculorum sed sacrorū. Aug. in Ioh. tr. 50. who was not a common thiefe, but a sacrilegious thiefe, robbing not euery mans bagge, but Christs bagge; and hauing robbed his bagge, made little conscience af­terward, to sell Christ himselfe too. The consideration whereof (as I sup­pose) made S. Fratri vestro eius (que) militib. sagittarijs ba list arijs (que) do­mos Episco­pales contra ius & fas au­dacter nimiū &c. Bern. ad Regem Fran­corum epist. 221 Bernard that zealous & deuout Saint, to write so boldely to the King of France, and to expostulate with him for giuing the Bishops hou­ses to his kinsfolks, and to his souldiers, and to archers and slingers & such like, & for suffering the goods of the church to be wasted and consumed in wicked & profane vses; telling him plainely that [Page 269]he was too bolde with the Church, and that it would not be long vnpunished, if he continued in so doing. The which was so far from that diuine spirit of the most worthy & renowned Constantine, that he gaue a straight charge to Auili­nus his gouernour (as Eusebius repor­teth) that if anie did hold or retain anie of those goods and possessions that did formerly belong vnto the Church, Euseb hist. eccl. lib. 10. cap. 5. he should cause them forthwith to be re­stored againe to the same Churches; that such things as the Churches pos­sessed before, might now at the last re­turn again to the right owners of them. Yea, he made an edict, Euseb. de vi­ta Constant. lib. 2, cap. 39 40. that if his owne Exchecker had for a time possest ought vniustly that belōged vnto the Church, that it should restore the same againe; and if anie had either bought and pur­chased any of these goods, or had them freely vpon some speciall fauour besto­stowed on thē, that they should restore them againe; in liew whereof, though they had laboured by their begging & [Page 270]buying of these things, to alienate his minde and his good will from them, he would out of his princely benignity prouide some other waies for them, as occasion should serue. The like also did Theodosius, Valentinian, Martianus, and diuers other Christian and godlie Princes: who made lawes wherin they prouided that it should not be lawefull vnto anie to inuade and vsurpe those goods, which they and others had, or hereafter shoulde bestowe vppon the Church; nor to alienate & conuert thē to any profane vses; and if at any time a publick necessity should seem to chal­lenge the vse of them, to take them with a condicion and a purpose of restoring them again, as Iouianus did: who took a great part of the goods of the church to relieue the people beeing pinched with famine, promising to restore all that hee tooke, and to adde more vnto it. Wherfore, to conclude this point, if either the exampls of godly Princes, or the iudgements of God vpon sacrilegi­ous [Page 271]people wil moue and perswade vs; beware of this horrible sinne of sacri­ledge, and take heed how you possess & hold the goods of the Church; for so long as Achans wedge of golde & the execrable thing is among vs, Ios. 7.13. it is to bee feared that Gods iudgements, and his seuere punishments will not bee farre from vs.

The fourth Proposition is, that the tenths and oblations, with other dew­ties belonging vnto God, are to bee of­fred willingly and gladlie; forasmuch as they are offered in token of our gra­titude and thankefulnesse to GOD: which implyeth both alacritie, and cheerefulnesse if it bee true thankeful­nesse. And verely great reason there is of it: for seeing God dooth liberal­lie and bountifullie bestowe all that we haue, vpon vs; therefore we ought to testifie our thankfulnesse by offering somthing most willingly & chearefully to him again. Wherof we shall finde a dew and most deuout practice of holy [Page 272]and godly men in former times. Wee read, that when as God commaunded Moses to builde a Tabernacle for his seruice, Exod. 36.5 the people were so willing and forwarde to offer euen the best things that they had towardes the building of it, that the workemen came to Moses and tolde him that the people brought too much, and more then enough for the vse of the worke: in regarde wher­of, he was faine to make a Proclamati­tion among them, that neither man nor woman should prepare any more work for the oblation of the sanctuarie. Exo. 36.5. So likewise when the Temple was to be builded, 1. Chron. 29 9.14 Dauid & his people did offer so willingly and so bountifully towardes the building of it, that as the text sayth they reioyced greatly when they did it, and did thank God for their offring which they offered vnto him; acknowledging that that which they gaue, they did first receiue, and that of his owne hand they did giue vnto him. Of which their willingnesse, both in [Page 273]their voluntarie oblatiōs, as also those which the lawe imposed vpon them, Philo a man of the same nation repor­teth that they brought their tribute, Philo de pram. & hon. sacerd. as he calleth it, more willingly vnto the Priests, then in other places they did vnto Princes. For when as they payd their dueties vnto them, they would grudge and complaine of great impositions and exactions, and would cauill and quarrell with the publicans & towle gatherers, hating them as a common plague that was sent among thē; but when as they payd theirtithes and oblations vnto the Priests, euerie man did it willingly and ioyfully, as if hee did not giue but receiue; giuing thankes vnto GOD, in the offring of their oblations. Yea, since that time, Christians in the be­ginning of the primitiue Church, were so forward and willing to honor God with their goods, Act. 4.34. that as many as were possessors of lands & houses sold them and brought the price therof & layd [Page 274]it downe at the Apostles feete; which was distributed to euerie one accor­ding as he had need. And after that al­so, in the declining state of the Church many deuout people were so ready & forward to giue vnto the Church, that they gaue more then was thought fit in policie to bee giuen; whereupon the statute of Mortmaine was made, that they should not exceede certaine bounds which were limited vnto thē. Which practise how different it is from the practise of this age wherein wee liue, euerie one that is purblind may see: wherein the complaint and grudging of most men is that they are at too much cost and charge for the seruice of God, as if euerie thing were too much, that is bestowed vpon it; dealing thus worse with God then the Israelites did with the golden calf: who plucked of their earings & their iew­els to make an Idoll; these contrari­wise thinking much to doo the like for the seruice and worshippe of the [Page 275]true God: Whereof none can tell so well as the ministers of God, who are as it were his stewards and collectors to receiue his rents. When we come to demand them in our masters name, to whom they are due, a world it is to see what grudging and complayning, what quarrelling and contesting, what cauilling and disputing there is about them; some pretending priuiledges and prescriptions, others pleading cu­stomes and compositions, a third sort studying and inuenting meere trickes and deuises thereby to defeate and to defraud God of his right; that it would grieue any well disposed minde to see euen a very meane person so iniuriou­sly and so fraudulently dealt withall. If hereupon in the defence of our mai­sters right, and in zeale to the Church, and in an honest care of our selues and ours, wee craue the benefit of the law and the helpe of the magistrate; Pub­licans and towle gatherers were not more odious nor counted more coue­tous [Page 276]and more extortioners then wee are: although indeede it is not coue­tousnes and oppression to maintaine the right of the Church, but theft and sacriledge to witholde it from it. Socr. hist. eccl. lib. 3. cap. 12. It is reported of Iulian, that when as the Christians came and complayned vnto him of the intolerable wronges and iniuries offered vnto them by the Pagans, hee made them this aun­swere, that it was their duetie when they are wronged to suffer it patient­ly, because their maister had willed & commanded them to do so. And doth not the world deale thus with Gods ministers also in these dayes? Yes ve­rily. If they be forced at any time to sue for the right of God & the church, men are readie to say to them as Iulian did to the Christians; that they ought to be patient and to suffer wrong, and not to go to lawe, but to liue quietly and peaceably with all men. Which I confesse they ought to do: but ought not these men also to deale iustly, and [Page 277]truely and honestly with them? O impietie and ingratitude of men! Is this our thankefulnesse vnto God for the bountie and plentie that hee be­stowes vppon vs, to pinch and to spare, and to deale niggardly and de­ceitfully with him? Doth God voutsafe to aske thy tenthes and oblations, and doest thou like a miserable and a coue­tous wretch deny thē vnto him? what wouldest thou do, if he should haue ta­ken nine parts vnto himselfe, and haue giuē the tenth only vnto thee? Which also he doth many times if thou could see it, Quid auidē supputas? nouem tibi partes sub­tractae sune, quia decimā dare noluisti. Haec enim est Domini iusti­ssima consue­tudo vt si tu illi decima [...] non dederis, tu ad decimā reuoceris. Aug. de Tēp. ser. 219. in making thy fields barren and to bring forth no corn, thy trees fruit­less & to bring forth no fruit, the labor & paines thou takest to be vnprofita­ble, & to bring no gain vnto thee. Dost thou muse and wonder at it, saith Saint Austen? surely it is no wōder. God doth take away nine parts frō thee, because thou would est not giue the tenth vnto him. For this is most iust dealing in God y^e if thou wilt not giue the tēth to him, [Page 278]he wil take away nine parts from thee, and giue the tenth vnto thee. Yea, ve­rily (as the same father sayth) because the tenth of thy goods, and of thy en­crease remaineth with thee, there shal bee spoyle and hauocke made of that which thou hast: August. ibid. Dabis impio militi quod non vis dare sacerdoti, thou shalt giue that vnwillingly vnto the souldi­er that seekes to make a prey of thee, which thou wouldst not willingly giue the Priest that prayeth for thee. Confi­der this, all yee that forget God, especi­ally you whom God hath blessed with plentie and abundance of all kinde of riches; Mat. 2. and withall remēber those wise men that came out of the East to wor­ship Christ: they came ladē with gold and myrrhe and fankincense to offer vnto him; and shall not Christians be as forward & as willing to do the like? Quale est si quod fecit Magus non faci­at Christianus? Chrysol. saith Chrysologus: what shame were it for Christians not to do as much as Magicians did, that they [Page 279]should bring gold and other gifts to Christs cradle, and that Christians should not bring the like vnto Gods Altar?

O let vs blush and be ashamed of such ingratitude: and let vs not hold Gods due any longer from him, in go­ing about to defeate him & to deceiue him of his right: but contrariwise, Prou. 3. let vs honour him with our substance by bringing willingly and gladly all our tithes and oblations vnto him; Mal. 3. & then try whether God will not deale libe­rally & bountifully with you, whether he will not fill your barnes with abun­dance, and make your presses burst with new wine, whether he will not open the windowes of heauen, and poure a bles­sing vpō you without measure. And thus much shall suffice for the last dutie in the charge, which is to offer his gift: the ground and warrant whereof is the lawe or commaundement of Moses; And offer thy gift as Moses comman­ded.

[Page 280]In discoursing and handling wher­of, the hand of my text pointeth me to that obedience which wee owe both to lawes and gouernours: for­asmuch as the Leper is willed to per­forme this duetie in regard of Moses his commandement; which implyeth a subiection and an obedience to pow­ers and principalities.

But because this matter hath been handled before in that reason which concerneth the Leper himselfe, in go­ing and shewing himselfe vnto the Priest, I will not insist vpon it any fur­ther; but rather will cleare a doubt which is made concerning this obe­dience, inioyned by Christ vnto the ceremoniall law of Moses. For seeing the rites and ceremonies of the Leui­ticall law were to bee abolished at the comming of Christ, being but types and shadowes which are to giue place vnto the bodie as Tertullian sayes; and were to endure, and to continue only, Heb. 9.10. vsque ad tempus correctionis, to [Page 281]the time of reformation, as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 9. it may iustly bee de­maunded why Christ would haue the Leper to obserue that which he him­self cam to abolish. To which it is an­swered, that christ doth not alwaies dis­solue the law of Moses, nor alwaies keep it; but sometimes doth the one, some­times the other. Hee doth dissolue it sometimes, as he did in touching the Leper, to prepare and make a way, Chrysost. in Mat. as Chrysost. saith, to his Euangelicall do­ctrin: and he obserueth it somtimes, as he doth here in bidding the Leper to offer his gift as Moses cōmanded; ther­by to bridle the mouthes of some, and to heal the weaknes of others, in yeel­ding and condescending some thing vnto them. Secondly, though the cere­monies of the law were to haue an end by the comming of Christ: yet not­withstanding not presently at his com­ming, but after his death and his ascension; and then not suddainely, neither; but by degrees and by little [Page 282]and little. If our Sauiour Christ, and his Apostles should either suddainely or altogether haue abolished them, August. Hieron. epist. 19. men might haue thought that both they and others that liued after, did de­test and abhorre them as diuelish and sacrilegious impietie: and therfore to take away this slaunder and reproche from them, and also to giue a due ho­nour and commendation vnto them, they would haue them to continue a while after them, yea and obserue thē also sometimes in their owne persons. To which end, Luc. 2. wee read how Christ himselfe was circumcised and presen­ted with an oblation, Ioh. 7. and did duly ob­serue the feasts and sacrifices accor­ding to the law of Moses, & how Paul circumcised Timothe, Act. 16. and did sheare his own head at Cenchrea; which they did, least otherwise they should bee thought to condemn the ceremonies of Moses law, as much as they did the superstition & idolatrie of the heathen: which in no wise they would haue to [Page 283]bee disgraced or to bee dishonoured; but rather to be countenanced & res­pected both in regard of God, the au­thor, and Moses the ordainer of them. Indeed it cannot bee denied, that after the death and ascension of Christ, August. Ep. 19. ve­tera sacramenta amiserunt tanquam vitam officij sui, as Saint Austen sayes the olde sacraments and ceremonies of the the law, they lost as it were the life of their office; but yet as the bo­dies of the dead are not to bee cast vn­to dogges & to the foules of the ayre, nor to be tumbled presently into their graues, but are after a time to bee brought decently and honorably vn­to their burialles, with certaine obse­quies, and funerall rites performed by their friends and acquaintance while they liued; so the ceremonies of the law, though they languished and be­gan to die at the comming of Christ, yea and were dead also after his death; yet Christ and his Apostles who were friends to Moses, would not haue them [Page 284]presently to be tumbled into the graue without all reuerence, or to be cast out to the slaunderous reproches of ene­mies, as to the biting of dogges; but with all honour and reuerence after that time to bee brought vnto the Graue, and there to rest and abide for euer. So if any shall now la­bour and go about to reuiue them, and to bring them in againe by obser­uing of them, hee shall not bee pi­us deductor & baiulus corporis, August. Ibid as Au­sten sayes; a louing friend that comes to solemnise the funerall; but impius sepulturae violator, a wicked enemie that comes to rake the Graue, and to violate the buriall. The vse that is now of them, is to reade them for the vn­derstanding and accomplishing of the things which they signified; not to obserue them, by performing any du­tie or obedience which we owe vnto them.

From whence wee may take a iust estimate, how to esteeme of the rites [Page 285]and ceremonies of our Church, and in what account and honour wee ought to haue them: not to disgrace and to dishonour them as diuers do; but to desteeme reuerently of them; if not for any other cause, yet in regarde of them that did first institute and ordaine them, as also of them that did after­ward for a long time obserue and keep them, who were both learned, godly and zealous men, such as shed their bloud, and layd downe their liues for the profession of the truth. For so we see that Christ and his Apostles did, who honoured the law of Moses and the Ceremonies therof (though they were to haue an ende shortly after) in regarde of Moses who was the Authour and ordayner of them: Which honour if any shall refuse to giue to the rites and ceremonies of our Church, as deeming them po­pish and superstitious, both in the institution and the vse of them; let these men that doo thus wrong [Page 286]our Church by casting an aspersion of poperie and superstition vppon it, knowe first of all thus much, that these rites and ceremonies haue beene ob­serued and vsed euen in the purest times of the Church, many hundred yeares before poperie and superstition crept in: as might bee shewed in diuers par­ticular ceremonies, namely the crosse in Baptisme, the vse of the surplisse, musicke in Gods seruice, kneeling at the communion, with diuers other besides, whereat so much offence is taken. The which were vsed, if not in the times of the Apostles, which Eusebius and others seeme to affirme, yet notwithstanding immediatly af­ter, both in the time of persecution when godly and zealous Christians shed their blood in defence of the Gospell: as appeareth plainely in the writings of Tertullian, Cyprian and o­thers, who make expresse mention of some of them; and in the time of peace also, when as the Church be­gan [Page 287]to haue Christian Emperours, who became nursing fathers and nur­sing mothers of the Church, as is to be seene in the writinges of most of the ancient fathers. Secondly, let it bee granted, that the ceremonies of our Church were first inuented and ordai­ned by those that were popish and superstitious, yea by pagans and hea­then men, as some doo affirme, and were most wickedlie abused to su­perstition and idolatrie; is it therefore vnlawfull for Christians to vse them, and to improoue them to a good end? only because they were ordained and abused by them? What were this else but to take away the vse of all things whatsoeuer? because they haue ei­ther beene inuented and ordayned by heathen men; or else abused by wic­ked and vngodly men. The captiue [...]oman that was taken in war, Deut. 21. though otherwise an Infidell, her hayre being [...]horne and her nayles being pared, night be married to an Israelitie. Deu. [Page 288]21. so also things profaned and abu­sed, being afterward corrected and re­formed, may bee imployed to a more holy and sacred vse. In the sixt of Iosua, when the Citie of Iericho was destroy­ed, God gaue a cōmandement, that all the gold, siluer, vessels of brasse & iron should be consecrated and brought in­to the treasurie of God; shewing most plainely that things inuented by hea­then and abused by idolaters, may bee conuerted to the seruice of God and the vse and benefit of the Church. So then let it bee graunted that Mercurie inuented musick: may not Dauid ther­fore play vpon a harpe and prayse God with an instrument of ten strings? Say that Aesculapus inuented Physicke, may not therefore Esay prescribe Eze­chias a medicine for his sore? Put the case that Minerua inuēted nauigation: may not therefore Ionas and Paul saile in shippes? To bee short, let idolaters bee inuenters of all kinde of vtensils and houshold stuffe: yet you shall finde [Page 289]Christ himself sleeping vpon a pillow, vsing a bason to wash his disciples feet, and girding himselfe with a linnen gar­ment, Linteo circil­stringitur, propria Osy­ridis veste. Tertul. de Cor. militis which Tertullian calles a gar­ment proper and belonging to Osyris. The Aegyptians iewells and their rai­ment wil serue to put vpon the Israelits. Exod. 3.22. & the wood of the groues where was the worshippe of straunge Gods, will serue for sacrifices and burnt offerings to worship the true and euer-liuing God. When things abused to i­dolatry are conuerted to Gods honour, it fareth with them (saith S. Aug. Publi­colae. ep. 154. Austen) as it dooth with men themselues; who are conuerted and changed, being of wic­ked & profane men, made holy and de­uout Christians: which as we do great­ly praise and commend, so we cannot iustlie dispraise nor condemne the o­ther. Lastly, were the ceremonies and orders of our Church impious and su­perstitious, is it likely that those holy & godly Martyrs would haue vsed & obserued them, who laid down their liues ra­ther [Page 290]then they would bee defiled with popish superstition and idolatrie? vn­lesse perhappes wee thinke our selues to bee of more wisedome and of bet­ter iudgement then they were: which must needes bee a signe of great arro­gancie, in being wise in our owne con­ceit, and in preferring our selues be­fore others. Therefore, so farre ought wee to bee from dishonouring and dis­gracing these rites and Ceremonies, and forsaking our ministerie in a dislike, and detestation of them, that wee ought most willingly to subscribe and to conforme our selues vnto them; and to praise and blesse God, Col. 25 not onely for the faith, but also for the order that is among vs, as the Queene of Sheba blessed God for the decent order and gouernment which shee behelde in Sa­lomons house. 1. Kin. 10.11

The last thing to be considered, is the end of his oblation: which besides the testifying of his thankfulnesse to God; is a particular respect concerning the [Page 291]priests, that it might be in testimoniū for a witness vnto thē, that if they shuld out of their malice vnto Christ, cauil about his cleansing, they might be conuicted and condemned by the gift which they receiued, as from one that was made cleane: for else, why did they take his offering, vnlesse hee were soundly and perfectly healed of his disease? God dealeth with wicked & malitious men, as Iudges doe with malefactors, who vse to proceede vpon witnesse and eui­dence that is against them; that if they shall afterwarde cauill and quarrell a­bout the fact, they may be [...] without all excuse, being conuicted by the testimonie and euidence that is a­gainst them.

Hence it was, that Aarons rod was kept in the Tabernacle for a witnesse against the Iewes, of their rebellion. Num. 17.10 Numb. 17. That the tables of stone written with Gods owne finger, Heb. 9.4 Psal. 81.5. and called the tables of the testimony, were kept in the Ark for a testimony of their [Page 266]disobedience, Psalm. 81. and that the Gospell was preached throughout the whole world, to be a witnesse of the in­fidelitie of all that did not beleeue it. The Angells of God that stand round about vs, our hearts and consciences that are within vs, and all the creatures in the World that are without vs, will be readie to beare record and witnesse of vs. Iam. 5.3 The rich mans golde and the rust of it will bee a witnesse of his co­uetousnesse: Hab. 2.11. the stone out of the wall, and the beame out of the timber, Ecc. 10.20. shall be a witnesse of his crueltie: the fowls of heauen, and the birdes of the ayre will bee witnesses of his impietie and of his blasphemy.

Wherefore, seeing wee are com­passed with a cloude of so manie wit­nesses, Heb. 12.1. as the Apostle speaketh in an­other case, let vs cast off euerie thing that presseth downe, and the sinne that hangeth so fast on; let vs bee carefull to keepe not onely our hearts, Prou. 4.23 but our tongues and our hands [Page 293]with all diligence, keeping (as it were) a continuall watch amidst our thoughts, our words and our deedes; least otherwise those that bee present to behold vs, be witnesses against vs to conuince and condemne vs. Those that haue a great manie eyes vppon them to obserue and note all their wordes and deedes, are verie warie and circumspect, that no vndecent, nor vnseemely thing passe and escape from them: so ought wee to bee euerie way as carefull, and as prouident; ha­uing so manie to beare witnesse and recorde of vs. It was Seneca his coun­sell to his friend Lucilius, that when­soeuer hee went about to doe anie thing, hee should imagine Cato or Scipio, or some other worthie Roman to be in presence; which as he thought, woulde make him the more carefull and circumspecte in all things: so ought wee, whensoeuer wee goe a­bout anie thing, to consider, that God his holie Angells and his creatures are [Page 294]present to beare witnesse of vs; and if a­nie of these should faile, yet our owne conscience neuer faileth to be present, going euery where with vs, and carry­ing about that with it, Conscientia est insepara­bilis gloria vel confusio vniuscuius (que) pro qualitate depositi. Bern. de inter. domo cap. 1. which it hath re­ceiued to keepe; beeing euery where vnto vs, eyther an inseparable glorie to excuse and to saue vs, or an insepara­ble confusion to accuse and condemne vs. In regard whereof, we ought all of vs to haue grace, as the Apostle sayth, so to serue God and to please him with feare and reuerence, that wee neede not to feare anie witnesses, that shall at a­nie time rise vp against vs; but contra­riwise, 2. Cor. 1.12 hauing the testimonie and wit­nesse of our conscience, that in simpli­citie and godly purenesse, we haue had our conuersation in the World, and gi­uing an outwarde testimonie and wit­nesse vnto the World, of our faith and good workes by the fruits thereof, we may receiue both the inwarde testimo­monie of the spirit to beare witnesse with our spirits that wee are the sonnes Rom. 8.16 [Page 295]of God, and the outwarde testimonie of God the Father, and of his sonne Ie­sus Christ, saying vnto vs, Mat. 25.23 Euge bone serue & fidelis, It is wel done good and faithfull seruant, thou hast beene faith­full in a little, I will make thee ruler o­uer much, enter into thy Masters ioy.

To which words I would heere add a blessing and a thanksgiuing, Scripturae scrutandae sunt, nec ea­rum superfi­cie debemus esse contenti, quae ita modi­ficatae sunt vt altiùs se penetrari ve­lint. Aug. Hesich. ep. 80 to con­clude and shut vp all as the manner is; but that Saint Austen tells mee that the Scriptures are to be searched and to be ransacked: and that wee ought not to content our selues with the superficies, and outside of them, but that wee are to penetrate into the verie bowelles of them. Omnia opera curationum Christi habēt in se mysteria dispositionum Dei abscon­ditarum. Chrys. in Mat. And Saint Chrysostome more particularly sayth, that all the workes of Christs healing and curing doe con­taine in them certaine mysteries of the hidden and secret dispositions of God. Which I know not how to open and to make manifest, vnlesse the healing of this Leper doth represent and shadowe out the healing of a sinner, and the cu­ring [Page 296]of sinne, which is as it were a le­prosie of the soule. Which if it doth (as verie well it maie doe) then ought we all of vs to come vnto Christ with the Leper, and to fall downe before him, and humbly desire him to heale our souls, and to cleanse vs from al our sins; he being the only Physicion & the physick to heale vs withal; whose bloud dooth both purge our consciences and cleanse vs from all our sinnes. Heb. 9.14 Which desire of ours, he is both able in regard of his power, and willing in regarde of his goodness, Psal. 147.18 to grant and perform; be­ing ready both to send out his word to heale vs with it, and to stretch out his hand, and to sprinkle his most precious bloud vpon vs to cleanse vs with it: Heb. 12.24 the vertue and efficacie whereof is such, that hee doth euen immediately, and as it were in a moment, cleanse vs from all our sinnes, and heale vs of all our ini­quities. Whereof when wee are cu­red, let vs not tell it vnto euery one, by bragging and boasting of it, as if wee [Page 297]were healed by our owne power and godlinesse: Act. 3.1 [...] but let vs ascribe all the praise and glorie vnto God for it, pre­senting our selues vnto Christ Iesus our high Priest, as vnto our heauenly Physicion, Heb. 9.12 who by his owne bloud en­tred into the holy place to sanctifie vs and to obtaine eternall redemption for vs; Rom. 12.1 offering vp our soules and bo­dies a liuing sacrifice holie and ac­ceptable vnto him; as it were two Pigeons, or a paire of Turtle-doues, for a gifte and a testimonie of our thankefulnesse vnto him: that so bee­ing iudged and pronounced cleane and pure from all leprosie of sinne, wee may (maugre the malice of Sa­than) bee receiued into the societie and companie of the Saints in the holy Citie, Apoc. 4.13 the heauenlie IERVSA­LEM, there to sing Halleluiah, and to giue prayse and honour and glorie to him that sitteth vpon the throne and to the LAMBE for euermore. Which he vouchsafe to grant vnto vs, [Page 298]of his infinite goodnesse and mercy to­wards vs, and for the inestimable price and merit of his owne bloud, where­with he hath purchased vs and washed vs from all our sinnes, and obtained e­ternall redemption and saluation for vs. To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit, three persons & one God, be ascribed all honour and glorie, praise and dominion, both now and for euer.

Amen.