CHAP. I. The Proeme to Perfection.

THE generations of men had been multiplyed upon the face of the earth, above five thousand yeares before the mines of gold were found out in the Westerne Indies. And no marvaile, seeing the spiri­tuall gold of the Sanctuarie, the saving Truth of God in Christ, was not discovered unto the Gen­tiles, to Kingdomes, and Nations, untill the world had continued in blindnesse and ignorance well-nigh foure thousand yeares. But as humane truth, which with Gollins is temporis filia, Gell. noct. art. lib. 12. cap. 11 the daughter of time, though shee be long buryed deepe below, yet remaines not alwayes in the darke night of obscuritie, but commeth at length [Page 2]to light. So the divine and heavenly truth was not alwayes to bee concealed from the miserable lapsed progenie of Adam but by the providence of God was in due time revealed; even in pleni­tudine temporis, Gal. 4.4. in the fulnesse of time, in the ac­cepted time,2 Cor. 6.2. in the day of salvation. Then the Messias, the Life and the Truth came into the world; then the desire of the Nations, the bright morning Starre appeared in our flesh, full of grace and truth. And He, He set mens hearts on fire, inflaming them with the loue of truth: Hee excited and stirred up the mindes of men to a di­ligent enquiry and searching after her, that so ha­ving found her, they might goe, and sell all, to buy her, that they might deny themselues and their owne carnall wisedome; that they might renounce the world, lightly esteeming of transi­tory pleasures, profits, and preferments, the worlds three minions and darlings, and all, to purchase the pearle of true perfection, a pearle most precious and of inestimable value. Which now shineth and giveth a bright luster in the mi­litant Church by grace: but hereafter shall bee more admirably polished and adorned by glorie in the tryumphant Church, in heaven, in the Kingdome of God, in that Kingdome, whereof, according to St. Augustine, Aug. Marcel­ [...]no epist. 5. The King is Veritie, The Law is Charitie, the measure is Eternitie.

CHAP. II. The Etymologie of Perfection.

PErfection is in Latine perfectio, and this from the verbe perficere, compounded of per and facere; and it signifieth to doe a thing throughly and absolutely, to make a thing compleate and entire without de­fect. Perfection in the Greeke is [...] from [...], which is derived from [...], an end: be­cause in all things agible our understanding first intendeth and propoundeth the end, and then deliberateth of the most apt and direct meanes tending to that end; which being found out and put in execution, the desired end is attained, and the worke perfected: whereupon this kinde of end is called the end of perfection, by way of ex­cellencie to distinguish it from the end of priva­tion, consumption, or terme. And thus accor­ding to the sense of the word both in the Greeke and Latine tongue, we say, Natura facit, [...]. doctrina dirigit, vsus perficit, nature frameth, doctrine and instruction directeth, and use or practise per­fecteth.

CHAP. III. The divers kindes of Perfection.

PErfection primarily and originally be­longeth to God the fountaine there­of, in whom is all vertue, grace, glo­rie, excellencie, after a most perfect, infinite and incomprehensible manner, therefore he onely is simpliciter & absolutè perfectus; sim­ply and absolutely perfect. All perfection found in Angels, or men, or any creature, is from God by communicating, participating of his perfecti­on: and so are said to be perfect, secundùm quid & in suo genere, in some respects after their seve­rall kindes.

Now (to omitte transcendentall perfection of metaphysicall speculation) this derivative parti­cipated perfection, really found in the creatures is of three sorts, naturall, morall, spirituall. In naturall science the Philosopher describeth per­fection in the concrete or subject, saying, perfe­ctum idest, Arist. de caelo lib. 1. cap. 4. extra quod nihil eorum qua ipsius sunt, accipi potest. That is perfect to which nothing is wanting, of those things which belong unto it. That is; which lacketh nothing requisite either in the first, or second moment of nature, nothing belonging to the essentiall parts, or naturall pro­perties and qualities flowing from them.

Morall perfection, according to humane mo­ralitie, is attained by the practice of intellectuall [Page 5]and morall vertues, and is called by the philoso­pher in his Ethickes, [...], that is, felicitie or happinesse, which he saith is, [...]. That is,Arist. Eth. 1.6 The operation of the soule according to the best and perfectest vertue in a perfect life. Naturall perfe­ction in the creature is from God as author of nature. Morall perfection is acquired by fre­quent actions, according to the rules of humane Philosophie.

But Spirituall perfection is from God as the doner and giver of grace, and fountaine of all good. For, every good gift, Iam. 1.17. and every perfect gift is from above, and commeth downe from the Father of Lights.

CHAP. IIII. Of Spirituall Perfection.

SPirituall perfection, is that precious pearle which God bestowed on man in the state of innocencie, with which he doth in rich and endow the Saints now in the state of grace, where-withall, he will adorne them more abundantly in the state of glo­rie.

When the Lord God created Adam and said,Gen. 1.26. Let us make man in our image after our likenesse: man so created was perfect, not onely by perfection of nature, but also of grace, of o­riginall [Page 6]righteousnesse essentiall to the integritie of nature. He had a singular light of understan­ding to apprehend things easily, clearely, with­out error, obscuritie, difficultie, yea that which is more observable: when God brought Eve newly created vnto Adam, He said of her pro­plietically, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, Gen. 2.13. she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.

In the will of Adam was seated originall righteousnesse, the cornucopia or treasurie of all vertues. In his affections resided a perfect loue of God, and vertue, with a perfect delight in them. And it is rightly observed, that the fa­ther of the world was honoured of God in Pa­radise with three eminent priviledges, 1. In intel­lectu, non errandi. 2. In voluntate, non peccandi. 3. In corpore, non moriendi. That is; with the pri­viledge of not erring in his understanding; with the priviledge of not sinning in his will; with the priviledge of not dying in his body. Such digni­tie and excellencie had man in his creation, that his understanding was without error, his will without prevarication and obliquitie; and so con­tinuing, his body was to be immortall,Aug. Enchir. ad Laur. cap. 105. immortali­tate minore, as S^r. Augustine speakes, by a les­ser and inferiour immortalitie in that earthly pa­radise, where feeding on the tree of life he might renew his strength as the eagle, and never dye. These things considered, it is no marvaile, if the sweete Singer of Israel in admiration hereof cry out:Psal. 8.4. What is man, that thou art mindfull of him? [Page 7]And the Sonne of man that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels, and hast crowned him with glorie and honour. Thus man created in the jmage and after the likenes of God, was glorious and perfect, untill hee transgressed that one command of his creatour. And this the Lord himselfe, in expresse termes intimates by his Prophet Ezekiel saying,Ezek. 23. thou wast perfect in thy wayes from the day thou wast created untill iniquitie was found in thee. Which the Preacher of Ierusalem explicateth in other words saying, Lee this have I found, Eccles. 7.29. that God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions.

CHAP. V. Of Perfection in the state of grace.

ADam by transgression having depri­ved himselfe, and his posteritie of that excellent perfection, where­with he was endowed in the state of integritie; it remaineth, that wee now search after such spirituall perfection as may be found here in the militant Church in the state of grace, expecting and hoping to have the same refined hereafter with a more eminent perfection in the state of glory. That there is a spirituall per­fection attaineable in this life is evident: by that command of Christ, Be yee therefore perfect, Mat 5.48. even [Page 8]as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Saint Paul exhorteth the Hebrewes hereunto Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, Heb. 6.1. let us goe on unto perfection, &c And there be perfect ones in the Church, as the same A­postle plainly insinuateth saying, Howbeit wee speake wisedome amongst them that are perfect. 1 Cor. 2.6. And againe, Let us therefore as many as be perfect, be thus minded. Philip. 3.15. This spirituall perfection attain­able in this life is the perfection of grace. And grace is a divine light flowing downe from God into the soule; displaying the beames thereof in the powers and faculties of the soule, enlightning them with diverse vertues.

Now though this perfection of grace be of very large extent, yet may it summarily be com­prehended in these three things. First in know­ledge, secondly in righteousnesse, thirdly in per­severance. For knowledge perfecteth the under­standing righteousnesse and perseverance per­fecteth the will.

CHAP. VI. Of Knowledge.

IN the soule of man there is a double power to receiue knowledge. First, Naturall, to apprehend and know things within the compasse of na­ture. The second, Obedientiall, which being actuated by grace, is apt to appre­hend and know things aboue, and beyond the cir­cuit of nature. From the first ariseth naturall knowledge: from the second supernaturall know­ledge. Naturall knowledge is but an handmaid, waiting and attending on knowledge supernatu­rall, which after an eminent manner beautifieth and adorneth the understanding.

Now as well-being supposeth a being, and grace supposeth nature; so supernaturall know­ledge findeth man furnished with some know­ledge of things naturall, before his conversion to God, but this knowledge cannot perfect the un­derstanding of man with spirituall perfection.

In the Cimmerian darknesse of heathenish ig­norance, some were famous professors and ad­mirers of knowledge attained by the light of na­ture; who by laborious speculations and indu­strious practise and observation, made great im­proovement of the common notions, and law of nature left in man. Such were the Priests of Ae­gypt, the Druides of Germanie, the Gymnosophistae [Page 10]of India, the Magi of Persia, and the Philosophers of Greece, who were eminent aboue the rest; a­mongst these were Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, and Pythagoras of Samos, of whom Marcus Au­relius noteth, that at the gates of his schoole was a stone, whereon he wrote these sentences: He that knoweth not, [...] Aurel. [...] 9. that he ought to know, is a brute beast amongst men. He that knoweth no more, then he hath need of, is a man amongst brute beasts. He that knoweth all that may be knowne, is a God a­mongst men.

Now these great Masters of humane science walked in the owle-light of naturall knowledge onely, of whom the Trumpet of grace saith, [...];Rom. [...] professing themselues to be wise, they became fooles. Who so much ad­mired of them as Socrates? Plato deemed him­selfe happie for being borne in his time: and the Athenians doisied him after his death; yet from him came that prophane Apophthegme, Quod supra nos nihil ad nos; that which is aboue us doth nothing pertaine unto us. Last. div. in­ [...]it. li. 3. ca. 20. This Lactantius in de­testation thereof observed in his divine institu­tions.

Salomon in the knowledge of nature surpassed all the Sages among the Gentiles, for by a sin­gular and extraordinary gift from God, he was wiser than all men; as the Holy Ghost witnesseth in these words. [...] 9. &c. And God gaue Salomon wisedome and understanding exceeding much, and largenesse of heart, even as the sand that is on the Sea-shoare. And Salomons wisedome excelled the wisedome of [Page 11]all the children of the East Countrie, and all the wisedome of Aegypt. For he was wiser than all men: than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda the sonnes of Mahol. And vers. 33. He spake of trees from the Cedar tree that is in Lebanon, even unto the Hyssop that springeth out of the wall. He spake also of beasts, and of foule, and of creeping things, and of fishes. Such, so great was the wisedome of Salomon in the knowledge of nature!

But we conceiue Adam to haue excelled Salo­mon and other men in largenesse, in certaintie, in constancy of knowledge, both by reason of his naturall endowments by creation; and also by reason of his long experience; for he had indeed (as Aristotle speaketh) [...],Arist. [...] 12. that eye of experience acquired by means of his long age, amounting to nine hundred and thirtie yeares. Gen. 5 But now there be many things that hinder us, and make us despaire of attaining so great know­ledge, and they be especially fiue: First weaknes of body. Secondly, shortnes of life. Thirdly, want of things necessary. Fourthly, perturbati­on of affections. Fiftly and lastly, temptations by evill Angells.

CHAP. VII. Of Knowledge supernaturall.

ALthough humane knowledge may serue as an handmaid to divine: al­though it may whet the understan­ding, and make it more acute and sharpe; and enlarge it for the ap­prehension of things of an higher nature, yet can it not perfect it. Onely supernaturall knowledge addeth true perfection to the minde. The author or inspirer hereof is God, Iob 32.8. for, the inspiration of the almightie giveth understanding. The object there­of is Holy things, Prov. 9.10. for, The knowledge of holy things is understanding. Such knowledge commeth to man either by vertue of some extraordinary su­pernaturall light, as in old time by dreames and visions and immediate inspiration, to the Pro­phets and Apostles and holy men of God, or, as ordinarily now it doth, by divine revelation out of the canonicall Scriptures, through operation of the Spirit and Ministery of the Church. For Christ ascending upon high, gaue gifts unto men; and as it is written,Ephes. 4.11. He gaue some Apostles; and some Prophets; and some Evangelists; and some Pastors and Teachers: for the perfecting of the Saints, for the worke of the ministerie, for the edi­fying of the body of Christ: till wee all come into the unitie of the faith, and of the knowledge of the sonne of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ.

[Page 13] The divine Oracles teach us to know two things, that we may be perfect according to the state of this life. First, God, secondly, our selues. God that we may beleeue in him, loue him and enjoy him. Our selues, that we may feare God and serue him in humility, and this humility cau­seth perfection, as St. Bernard intimateth in his thirty-seventh Sermon upon the Canticles. Now there are two degrees of knowing God: the first is to know him quantum cognoscibilis est, so much and so farre as he can be knowne. Secondly, quantum nos ejus cognoscitivi sumus, to know him so much and so farre as we are able to know him.

In the first degree, God onely knoweth him­selfe. Quidest Deus? quod ad universum spectat, finis est. Quod ad electionem, salus; quod ad se, ip­se novit, saith St. Bernard. What is God? Bern. de con­sid. ad Eug. li. 5. ca. 11. to the world he is the end, to the elect, salvation; what he is to himselfe, he himselfe knowes.

Man a finite creature cannot possibly compre­hend Him, who is infinite and incomprehensible. For such apprehension is supra modum receptivi­tatis suae, aboue the measure and modell of his capa­citie. Wee cannot come to know God à priori, by the cause, for he onely is absolutus à causa; seeing he is causa causarum, the cause of all other causes; all other depend on him, but he onely is independent, and before all other. But we may come to the knowledge of God à posteriori by his workes and effects. Therefore he said unto Mo­ses, thou shalt see my backe parts, Exod. 33.23. but my face shall not be seene.

[Page 14] Now we attaine to the knowledge of GOD fiue wayes. [...]jo [...]r m [...]in Re. cap. 1. First, by naturall reason; for as the Orator observeth, there is no Nation so savage or barbarous, which doth not acknowledge a GOD, Nature dictating this unto them. Se­condly, by consideration of the creatures, for herein is [...], as it is written, that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them, Rom. 1.19. for God hath shewed it unto them. Thirdly, by work­ing of miracles, for he onely can produce an ef­fect aboue the power of Nature; as the sweet sin­ger of Israel noteth,Psal. 72.18. Blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel, which onely doth wondrous things. Fourthly, God maketh himselfe knowne unto us by infusion of grace, enlightning us with the knowledge of him by his Spirit; for it is written, The Spirit searcheth all things, 1. Cor. 2.10. even [...], the deepe things of God. Lastly, by divinerevela­tion out of the canonicall Scriptures, which are the mouth of God, speaking unto man. There he makes himselfe knowne, that he is the creator of all things, that he is most good and gracious, that he is loving to every man, and that his mer­cy is over all his workes. There we reade those words of joy and consolation, which are so plea­sant to our taste, yea sweeter than honey or the honey-combe. St. Ambrose ravisht with the de­light he found in the greene gardens of the Scrip­tures, saith,Amb. ep. 31. lib. 4. ep. Nunc deambulat in paradiso Deus cum divinas scripturas lego, When I reade the divine Scriptures, God is walking up and downe in para­dise.

CHAP. VIII. Of the Knowledge of God by affection, and not bare apprehension onely.

BY the heavenly Oracles in GODS Booke, we learne to know that GOD is one in nature and essence, but three in personall subsistence; The Father, the Sonne, the Holy Ghost. And they are di­stinguished by personall properties, called opera quoad intra, the inward workes of the blessed Trinitie; So the Father begetteth, the Sonne is begotten, the Holy Ghost proceedeth from them both. We distinguish them also per opera quoad extra, by their outward workes, when wee say, the Father createth, the Sonne redeemeth, the Holy Ghost sanctifieth. Although to speake properly, all outward workes extending to the creatures are wrought by all the three persons, but after a different manner of working.

All this theologicall knowledge of God may be found in them who are altogether imperfect. For it is not the knowledge of bare apprehensi­on, which addeth true spirituall perfection to the soule; for this is to be found in evill Angells and wicked men. But it is the knowledge of affecti­on and affiance;Bern. de con sid. li. 5. [...]a. 3 or as Saint Bernard speakes the knowledge of faith whereby we beleeue in God, loue him, and delight in him. In which sense our Saviour saith, This is eternall life, Iohn 17.3. that they might [Page 16]know thee the onely true God, and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent. And the Evangelicall Prophet E­say prophecying of Christ:Esay 53.11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many, for he shall beare their iniquities.

CHAP. IX. Of the knowledge of God in Christ.

FRom the precedent discourse, we learn by the testimony of Christ, and the Prophet Esay, that the most excellent knowledge of God tending to per­fection and salvation, is to know him in Christ Iesus. To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe, not imputing their tres­passes unto them. Here we see God not as a law­giver upon his throne of Iustice, propounding unto us the covenant of works, but as a Saviour sitting on the mercy-sear, making with us a new covenant, the covenant of grace and peace in Christ. This knowledge is the very life of our soules, and joy of our hearts; which constrai­ned the Trumpet of grace to say,I halip. 3.8. Yea doubtlesse, and I count all things but losse, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord.

We do behold the glory of the Deitie through the vaile of Christs humanitie;Col. 2.9. for in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily. Therefore said Christ to Philip, Iohn 14.9. He that hath seene mee hath [Page 17]seene the Father: and he himselfe giues the rea­son hereof in another place, saying;Iohn 10.30. Aug. in Psal. 138. I and the Father are one. Hence is it that St. Augustine saith, Lucerna sapientiae caro Christi, the flesh of Christ is the lanterne of wisedome. And doest thou now O sorrowfull sinner desire to know thy Sa­viour Iesus, to finde him out and see him, whom thy soule loueth and so longeth after? Behold he is in the flowrie gardens of the Scriptures, Ibi pascit, ibi cubat in meridie, there he feedes, there he rests at noone day; there he shewes himselfe the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. From thence he graciously invites thee to seeke him, and calleth unto thee, saying,Iohn 5.39. Search the Scriptures, for in them you thinke to haue eternall life, and they are they which testifie of me. As if he should haue said, O yee carelesse children, O yee foolish ones, why wander yee in the crooked paths of sinne and death, why rather come yee not unto mee? If yee would not erre, loe I am the way; if yee would not be deceived, loe I am the truth; if yee would not die, behold, I am the life.

For, I am the way th [...] truth, and the life. Iohn 14.6. Aug. in Ioan­tract. 22.

Nonest quò eas nisi ad me, non est quà eas nisi per me, there is no whither for you to goe but unto me, there is no way for you to goe by but by me. O come unto me then, Come unto me all yee that labour, and are heavie laden, and I will giue you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learne of me; for I am meeke and lowly in heart: and yee shall finde rest unto your soules. For my yoke is easie and my burden is light.

CHAP. X. Christs Incarnation.

SEeing Christ doth so graciously invite and call us to him, let us earnestly de­sire to know him that we may be u­nited to him, and made conformable to his image, and so perfected in him. For as St. Augustine saith;Aug. in prae­fat. in Psal. 54. Christus perfectio nostra est, in illo enim perficimur, quoniam ipsius capitis membra sumus: Christ is our perfection: In him we are per­fect, because we are members of him the head.

Now the first thing we are to know concer­ning our Saviour Iesus Christ, is his Incarnation, or assuming of our nature in the wombe of the Virgin.

Which St. Ambrose calleth Sacramentum incar­nationis, Amb. in Sym­bot. the Sacrament of his Incarnation: the first visible foundation of our redemption. A myste­rie kept secret, and hidden from the world, from men and Angells, untill it was revealed to the blessed Virgin Marie by the message of an An­gell. And then the Eagle soaring upon high could say,Iohn 1.14. [...], and the Word was made flesh: And the trumpet of grace proclaiming the great mysterie of godlinesse, beginnes with [...], God was manifested in the flesh. 1 Tim. 3.16. Thus the Sonne of God by nature, voluntarily and graciously became the sonne of man; that the sonnes of men might in him become the sons of God by grace.

[Page 19] In this most mysterious worke of Christs in car­nation, St. Bernard observeth,Bern. de con­sid. li. 5. c. 9. that as in GOD there are three persons and one essence, so by a most convenient contrarietie, there be in Christ three essences and one person. Which three essences are his reasonable soule, his humane flesh, his Deitie. Now the two former essences make up the hu­mane nature in Christ; for although there be three essences, yet are there but two natures. And though there be two natures, yet is there but one person, and not two, as Nestorius the hereticke taught. Now although the humane nature in Christ, be not a person, yet is it individually and numerically distinguished from the particular humane nature in Moses and Peter, and each o­ther man. But it is individnum extraordinarium, it is an extraordinarie individuall humane nature, which never had any subsistence in it selfe or for it selfe, but in divino supposito, [...], in the Word, in the Sonne of God. And it is an extraor­dinary individuall humane nature, because alto­gether without sinne. First, without originall sinne, which is propagated from Adam by the Father; but our Saviour had no such earthly Fa­ther, and consequently no originall sinne. Se­condly, without actuall sinne; in that the humane nature in the first moment of conception, was by Hypostaticall union of the Deitie perfectly san­ctified, & made impeccabilis free from any power or possibilitie of sinning. Hence by way of ex­cellency, he is that sonne of man,2 Cor. 3.28. who knew no sinne.

[Page 20] Now our blessed Saviour in regard of his two natures, was medius inter Deum & hominem, a meane betwixt God and man, as participating of both: but a Mediatour, in respect of his office of reconciliation and redemption. For there is one God and one Mediatour betwixt God and men, 1 Tim. 2.5. the man Christ Iesus. And it is to be observed that the Apostle, saith not God, but the man Christ Iesus. For God could not die, unlesse he had been man: But God was made man, that he might die for man, and so reconcile man unto God. Hereup­on,Fulgent. serm. de dupl. nativ. Domini. Fulgentius saith; Conceptus in utero, factus est particeps mortis nostrae, being conceived in the wombe, he was made partaker of death with us. And Saint Augustine to the same purpose saith,Aug. in Psal. 148. Accepit exte, unde moreretur prote: He tooke that of thee, wherein he might die for thee.

CHAP. XI. Christs Passion.

SINNE according to St. Iohns de­scription is [...],1 Iohn 3.4. a transgression of the Law, a privation of righteous­nesse commanded therein. Now a privation is minimae entitatis sed maximae efficaciae, of the least entitie, but of the greatest efficacie. Which is most true in sinne: For what was there in the whole world, in hea­ven or earth that could cause the death of the Son [Page 21]of God; or as St. Augustine speakes, Vt aeternus moreretur: that he who is eternall should die, but onely sinne? And that not his owne, but ours; our prophanenesse, our crueltie, pride, luxurie, covetousnesse, intemperance, our lies, our oaths, our innumerable sinnes.

All which were made his, not by inherence, but by imputation. And he tooke them all upon him not subjectivè, but expiativè, not subjectiue­ly, but by way of expiation, to satisfie the justice, and appease the wrath of his Father for them. For by shedding his bloud on the Crosse for our sinnes, he cancelled the fearefull bond, and put out the hand-writing against us. And so, as the A­postle testifieth, in him haue we redemption through his bloud, even the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, Ephes. 1.7. accor­ding to the riches of his grace.

Our most gracious Saviour in that bitter ago­nie of his most dolorous passion upon the Crosse, might well complaine with Ieremie the sonne of Hilkiah, Behold and see, Lam. 1.12. if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow. And may not all that by faith embrace him crucified on the Crosse most truely say, behold and see, if there be any loue like unto his loue, who so loved us that he laid downe his life for us; who so loved us that he gaue himselfe for us? Here is loue without measure; unparalleled charitie without any example.Iohn 15.13. Greater loue hath no man than this, that a man lay downe his life for his friends. Yea but the loue of Iesus exceeded the loue of men, it passed the loue of Damon and Pythias, of David and Ionathan, it surpassed the [Page 22]loue of women. For as the chosen vessell of mer­cy noteth, God commendeth his loue towards us, in that while wee were yet sinners Christ dyed for us, Rom. 5.8. and in the tenth verse following more emphatically he intimateth, that when wee were enemies, we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne, much more being reconciled, wee shall be saved by his life. O most wonderfull death! O most meritorious work of supenerogation, where­in stands our righteousnesse and everlasting sal­vation! O most happie death, bringing to man eternall life! Mors Christi, mors est meae mortis, quoniam ille mortuus est ut ego viverem, Bernard. ad Milit.rem­pl. cap. 11. saith holy Bernard: The death of Christ, is the death of my death, for he dyed that I might live.

CHAP. XII. Christs Resurrection.

LEt us now passe from the Crosse of our Lord Iesus, and walke unto his sepulcher in the garden of Io­sseph of Arimathea, and see whether his most sacred body be there. But loe we haue the voice of an Angell telling us, He is not here, Math. 28.6. for he is risen. Here our blessed Sa­viours resurrection is proclaimed by an Herald from Heaven, by an Angell. Whereby we know that he is a perfect Mediatour betwixt God and us, tam merito quàm efficaciâ as well by the merit [Page 23]of his passion, as by the power and efficacy of his resurrection. Satan the Serpent thought he had strangled the fruit of our redemption by procu­ring that ignominious and shamefull death of Christ on the Crosse: supposing to haue kept him under the chaines of darknesse.Aug. serm. 1. in fest. ascens. But as St. Augu­stine writeth, Muscipula Diaboli crux Christi, esca quâ caperetur, mors Christi, the Crosse of Christ was the Devills trap, the baite whereby he was ta­ken; was the death of Christ. So the deceiver was deceived, the subtile Serpent was beguiled: for it was not possible, that he should keepe him un­der death, who is the Lord of life,John 11.25. who is the re­surrection and the life.

And therefore as by the will of the Father,Rom. 4.25. He was delivered to death for our sinnes, so he was also raised againe for our justification. Here you see that our most gracious and mightie Redeemer was as Gorran saith, Pugil in morte, victor in resurrectio­ne, Gorran. in Ro. cap. 1. a Champion in his death, a conquerour in his re­surrection. For now He triumphed over the graue and death: declaring to the world, to men and Angells, that he was perfectly just: otherwise he could never haue risen unto Glory, had he beene uncleane, had he beene any way polluted and de­filed with sinne; for into the heavenly Ierusfalem such shall in no wise enter. Yea, He rose againe for our justification, to shew himselfe a justifier of all that beleeue in him; to shew that he had ta­ken away their sinnes, the wages wherof is death; that so they might at the last day rise againe unto eternall life.

[Page 24] The resurrection and glorification of our Lord Ie­sus Christ, August. desur­rect. dom. & Cant. Alle­lujah. according to St. Austine, doe shew what life we are to receiue, when he shall come to ren­der digna dignis, evill to the evill and good to the good: then all the members of his mysticall bo­dy shall rise up in Him their head, and so liue ever with him:Fulgent. serm. de dupl. nativ. Christi. for as Fulgentius saith, Resurgens è se­pulcro fecit nos participes vitae suae, by rising out of the sepulchre, He made us partakers of his life. And we know as the Scripture teacheth us,2 Cor. 4.14. that, He who raised the Lord Iesus, shall raise up us also by Ie­sus. And when Christ,Coloss. 3.4.who is our life shall appeare, then shall we appeare also with Him in glorie.

CHAP. XIII. Christs Intercession.

WHen the sonne of God had suffered his most dolorous and bitter agony on the Altar of the Crosse; when he had victoriously triumphed o­ver the graue in his most glorious resurrection: He ascended upon high, and led cap­tivity captiue, and is set on the right hand of God, continually making intercession for us: there he ever presents unto the Father his humane nature, wherein He died and rose againe, and performed so great things for us: there we sinners haue an Advocate with the Father, 1 Iohn 2.1. even Iesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sinnes: [Page 25]whereupon St. Augustine saith,Aug. in Psal. 94. Sacerdotem si re­quiras supra caelos est, interpellat prote, qui in terra mortuus est prote: if thou require a Priest, He is a­boue the Heavens; He maketh intercession for thee who on earth died for thee. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? it is God that justifi­eth, who is he that condemneth? Rom. 8. v. 33.34. it is Christ that died, yea that is risen agaìne, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. What greater comfort and consolation haue we in our pilgrimage, than to know and beleeue that the Lord Iesus is our most faithfull Advo­cate, who intercedeth for us day and night? who as St. Ambrose speakes,Amh. in. ca. 8. ad Rom. Semper causas agit nostras apud patrem, perpetnally pleades our causes before the Father. Who as the Apostle saith, maketh in­tercession for the Saints according to the will of God.

He onely intercedeth for all Saints, and none of all the Saints intercede for him. So he is our onely true, perfect Mediatour. He intercedes with the Father for us, merito suo, by vertue of his owne merit. The Saints on earth intercede for others, but merito Christi, through Christs merit; for all their holy requests for others, all their pious intercessions are offered upon the Golden Altar, and doe sweetly ascend up unto the throne of grace,Apoc. 8.3. per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

CHAP. XIIII. Our union with Christ.

WHat will it availe us to know the merit of Christs death, the power of his re­surrection, the benefit of his interces­sion, unlesse we participate of so great blessings? But participate of them wee cannot, unlesse we haue communion with Christ, unlesse we be of him and in him, as the branches are in the Vine, unlesse we be members of his bodie, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones. And this is a great mysterie concerning Christ and the Church:Eph. 5.32. which to understand in some measure is most necessary, but to haue a spirituall sense and feeling of it, is even an unspeakeable foun­taine of joy and consolation.

As we are of and in Adam by nature; so are we of and in Christ by grace. And Christ who can­not be had by portions, is whole in the whole Church, and whole in every faithfull member of the Church. And thus he communicates him­selfe unto us by his Spirit, for the same Spirit which giveth life unto the Head, quickeneth and enliveneth the members also; for if any haue not the Spirit of Christ, Rom. 8.9 he is none of his: and therefore in Iohn 14.19. he saith to his Apostle, Because I liue, yee shall line also. And all this proceeds from our union with him, which he insinuateth in the twentieth verse following; At that day shall yee [Page 27]know, that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. This holy Spirit whereby wee are united to Christ, is the seede whereby we are borne of God, and the sonnes of God. Because yee are sonnes, saith the Apostle, God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts, crying Abba Father. Obscuro. For our spirituall subsisting in Christ is corre­spondent to his personalitie and subsistence, whereby he is the Sonne of God; So in him we also are the sonnes of God; He is such by nature, we onely through him by adoption and grace.

Hence is it that St. Peter saith, We are partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. which is communicated to all the three subsistences in the blessed Trinitie; and consequently to the Sonne, and in him to us. This Christ prayed for, and was heard in that he requested and desired for the faithfull, in those words, That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. Iohn 17.21 And St. Iohn intimateth as much, saying, Truely our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Sonne Iesus Christ. 1 Iohn. 2.3.

Entreating here of the union of the Church with Christ, I was drawne to speake of our adop­tion through Christ. For by one and the same Spirit we are adopted in Christ, and united unto him. He unites himselfe to us by grace, we are u­nited to him by faith. And so the whole person of the faithfull is united to the whole person of Christ, first to his flesh, then through his flesh to the Word, which was made flesh. And this uni­on is wrought after a spirituall, not corporall [Page 28]manner; after a supernaturall, not after a natu­rall manner. And therefore difficult to under­stand, and hard to utter. But by this union wee are in Christ, and Christ in us, we liue in Christ, and Christ in us, we are made one with Christ, and Christ with us: that so by degrees we may be conformed unto him, first, by grace, after by glorie.

CHAP. XV. Of the knowledge of our selues necessary to perfection.

THe old precept in the schoole of the Grecian Philosophers, may deserue a due place amongst us in the schoole of Christ, [...], know thy selfe. For this knowledge is necessary unto perfection, and directeth us to it.Plin. Nat. Hist. li. 2. cap. 1. Whereupon Plinie the Pa­gan cryes amaine, Furor profectò furor egredi &c. tis madnes, tis madnes for a man to goe out of him­selfe, and as if he knew all within, to prie and search into all things without, as if he could measure any thing, who knowes not how to measure himselfe. Now if thou wouldest wisely measure thy selfe, take St. Bernards counsell, who adviseth thee se­riously to consider three things:Bern. de con­sid. ad Eug. li. 2. cap. 4. first, Quid sis, secondly, quis sis, thirdly, qualis sis; first, What thou art in regard of nature; secondly, who thou art. in respect of thy person; thirdly, What an one thou [Page 29]art in regard of thy manners. Wouldst thou know what thou art by nature? I will not instruct thee out of the store-house of nature; no, let God him­selfe teach thee, let him instruct thee out of Para­dise, saying, dust thou art and to dust shalt thou re­turne. Here he who is α and [...] tells thee thy be­ginning and thine ending, [...], all is dust; earth the meanest, the lowest, the basest of all the elements is predominant in tho [...]: thou commest into the world clad with clay, with teares, and weeping mournfully; thou goest on with labour, and shame, irke somely, thou goest our with paine and anguish dreadfully; A wofull entrance, a miserable continuance, a searfull Ca [...]ast [...]ophe.

And wouldst thou further understand what thy life is here on earth? Surely thy dayes are no better than Iacobs were, few and evill. Gen. 47. v. 9.

And Ioh tells thee, that thou art of short con­tinuance and full of trouble. The shortnes of thy life is such, as David compares it to an hand bredth; St. Iames to a vapour; others to a sha­dow, to a dreame; or the dreame of a shadow; and nothing can be found so transitory to be a perfect Embleme of our short continuance.Wisd. 5.9. As soone as wee were borne, wee began to dram towards our end, saith the Wiseman.Ambr. de voc. gent. li. 2. ca. 8. Nec priùs incipit au­geri atas nostra, quàm minui; neither doth our age begin to increase, before it begin to decrease, saith St. Ambrose. O then let us consider, let us seri­ously consider, that this breve suspirium, this short sigh, this momentanie life is momentum illud unde pendet eternitas, that moment whereon de­pends [Page 30]eternitie either eternall woe, or everlasting felicitie. O thou creator of men, thou knowest our frame, thou remembrest that we are but dust; O teach us so to number our dayes, that we may applie our hearts unto wisedome;

Our life for the quantitie is vaine and momen­tanie; and for the qualitie thereof it is evill and full of trouble, afflicted with many perturbati­ons of minde, wi [...] innumerable crosses from our selues and from others, with infinte distractions and vexations of spirit. So that Scaliger might well say; Hominis vita non hac est, sed via ad vi­tam; this is not the life of man, Scalig. exerc. 205. Sect. 2. but the way unto life. Here is nothing but labour and shame and sor­row; So that our life is indeede [...], a weake miserable life, or rather no life, no time thereof is truely pleasing and delight some to us.Flor. Granat. parre 1. cap. 15. Quod prae­terijt, dolet; quod praesens est affligit; quod futu­rum est, turres: We sigh and sorrow for that which is past; we are afflicted and discontent with that which is present, and we are afraid of that which is to come. We are afraid to be unclothed, to put off our tabernacle of clay, to be resolved into dust;Arist. Eth. 3. cap. 9. [...], death is a thing most fear­full, saith Aristotle; this nature cannot brooke, abhorret à non esse, shee abhorres a not being; Grace may correct, but not change and take away na­ture. Hoc habet humanus affectus; quoniam diligit vitam, odit mortem: Pet. Lombar. sent. 3. dist. 17 mans affection is such, that he loveth life, and hateth death, saith Peter Lombard. Now consider how many distempers from the elements, from our meats and drinkes are wee [Page 31]subject unto; how many casuall accidents from evill Angells, and men, and other creatures are we daily exposed unto, so that we haue cause per­petually to be in expectation of death, yea to complaine and cry out with the chosen vessell of mercie; O wretched man that I am, who shall deli­ver me from the body of this death, Who (shall as Gorran glosseth upon it) deliver me à corpore hoc mortifero, samp; mortali, Gorran. in Rom. 7.24. sub cujus dominio captivus sum, in quo declino ad mortem naturae, per quod in­clinor ad mortem culpae; in quo horreo montem Ge­henna? Who shall deliver mee from this mortife­rous and mortall bodie, under whose dominion I am held captiue; wherein I decline to the death of na­ture, by which I am inclined to the death of sinne; wherein I abhorre the death of Hell? Such, so va­riable and mutable, so transitorie and mortall is the state of man, than whom, as Plinie notes,Plin. not. hist. 2.7. no­thing is more proud, and nothing more miserable.

CHAP. XVI. Of the further knowledge of our selues.

HAving considered what thou art by nature; if thou wilt goe on to per­fection, thou must also consider, who thou art in person, and what an one in qualitie. After our gene­rall calling of Christianitie, there be many par­ticular [Page 32]callings and states of men both in Church and Common-weale, whereby they are distin­guished one from another; and hence ariseth the distinction, and difference of the persons of men; whereby they are obliged and bound to per­forme certmine offices, services, and ministeries for the good of others.

Now thou must consider what person thou art, whether a King, or a subordinate Magistrate, or an inferiour subject; whether a Bishop or a Priest or a lay man; whether a Divine, or a Physitian, or a Lawyer, whether a Souldier, or a Merchant, or an artificer, or an husbandman, or a labourer, or whatsoever calling thou art of. And herein thou must employ thy endeavours to the glory of God, and the common good of men, following that excellent rule of St. Augustine; Aug. in Ioan. tract. 10. Fac quicquid potes, pro persona quam portas & perficis, zelus do­mus tuae comedit me; Doe what in thee lieth corre­spondent to the person thou sustainest, and then thou doest perfectly performe that, the zeale of thy house hath eaten me up.

In the next place consider what an one thou art, whether pious or prophane, cruell or merci­full, humble or proud, covetous or liberall tem­perate or intemperate: in a word, thou must con­sider wherein thou dost swarue from the rule of obedience, and transgresse Gods law. For nisi ad regulam, Seneca ad Lu­cil. ep. 11. pratia non couriges, saith Seneca: thou wilt not correct that which is amisse, but by the rule. But if thou strictly examine thy selfe by that rule, it is to be feared, thou wilt finde thy selfe a great [Page 33]sinner, a grievous sinner, perhaps [...], out of measure sinfull: thou wilt see thy prevarications und aberrations multiplied super numerum, to be as David complained, innumera­ble, more than the haires of thy head. Oh, but the slnggish sinner will not looke into that cleare glasse, to see his festered sores, his otting corrup­ting Uicers, least the sight thereof should trouble and torment him For he thinkes it true which the Preacher saith, He that increaseth knowledge, Eccles. 1.18. in­creaseth sorrow: which St. Ierome expounds thus,Hieron. lib. 2. advers. Pelag. he understands that he wants perfection, and knowes by that which he doth know, how much it is which he doth not know.

But the carnall sinner expounds it otherwise; by searching into the Law and the severall bran­ches of obedience therein contained, he discove­reth the multitude of his sinnes and transgressi­ons, and consequently the guilt of many foule and monstrous aberrations, for as that holy Fa­ther Fulgentius saith,Fulgent. de gra. & incarn. Dum. nosi [...] [...]s. Christi. Quantum ignorantta peccati minuitur, tantum reatus peccatorum augetur: as much as the ignorance of sinne decreaseth, so much the guilt of sinne increaseth. Now the guilt of sinnes increaseth the sight of God, justice; and the extreame malediction, or curse of the Law, cause remorse of conscience, & increase sorrow. But if this sorrow be seasoned and sanctified with grace and faith in Christ Iesus, it is not that sor­row in morall Philosophie, which is affectus de­structivus subjecti, an affection or passion destroying the subject; but it is affectus perfectivus & salva­tivus [Page 34]subjecti, an affection perfecting & preserving the subject; for it is a pious, a profitable sorrow, or as the Apostle speakes,2 Cor. 7.10. a godly sorrow which causeth repentance unto salvation not to be repented of.

CHAP. XVII. Of righteousnesse perfecting the will.

IN the day when Adam was created, he was perfect in his understanding and will, but by disobedience he be­came imperfect in both, and so was cast out of that earthly Paradise. Now unlesse we be renewed in Christ after the image of God, and regaine such or greater per­fection than Adam had in science and sanctitie, in knowledge and righteousnesse, we shall never enter into the paradise of heaven.

What knowledge is especially necessary unto perfection is formerly discovered. So that in the next place it remaineth to enquire what righte­ousnesse is requisit to perfect us and prepare us for the kingdome of heaven. Which before we come to, let us still remember, that as I intima­ted heretofore, there is a double perfection com­patible to man.

The first is absolute, proper to the glorified ones in the Church triumphant, and not to be found in any of the children of men, so long as [Page 35]they be here in earthly tabernacles and mortall bodies of clay.

The second, not absolute, but correspondent to the state of this life; and this is that, which by all meanes wee must striue and endeavour to at­taine unto, whilst we are members of the militant Church, whilst we are as yet strangers and pil­grims, and way-faring men on earth.

This then premised, consider we the righteous­nesse, whereby we are perfected according to the state of this present life. And it is two-fold, the first is the righteousnesse of another, but imputed unto us, called therefore imputed righteousnesse. The second is our owne righteousnesse, which is wrought in us by God through the sanctificati­on of his Spirit, called inherent righteousnesse.

And first we will treat of that righteousnesse which being without us is imputed unto us of God, and so made ours: otherwise we could ne­ver be perfect disciples in the schoole of Christ.

CHAP. XVIII. Of righteousnesse imputed.

THe righteousnesse which is without us, and not our owne, but imputed unto us, as being the righteousnesse of ano­ther, is the righteousnesse of Iesus our Mediatour; now his righteousnesse is of two sorts: first, the righteousnesse of his person, where­with [Page 36]he himselfe is clothed and adorned; second­ly, the rightousnesse of his merit, whereby he doth cloath and adorne us, poore, naked, miserable sinners, and that of his meere grace, free bountie and goodnesse.

The righteousnesse of Christs merit is that me­ritorious obedience which in our nature he per­formed for us, to appease Gods wrath conceived against us for our sinne, to satisfie his severe ju­stice: that wee being absolved from sinne by his death, might be reconciled unto God, and so be­come heires of eternall life. This meritorious righteousnesse of our blessed Saviour, without which we are altogether imperfect, is in it selfe most perfect: and it pleaseth God to account it unto us as our righteousnesse, and to impute it unto us, as done by us. For Christ sustaining and bearing all our persons in his death, by the will and determinate counsell of the Father died for us all. So that, that righteousnesse which he per­formed for us in our name, may not unfitly be said to be ours as done by us. For as St. Gregory saith;Greg. Mo­ral. expos in Iob. lib. 24. cap. 7. Iustitia nostra dicitur, non quae ex nostro no­stra est, sed quae divina largitate fit nostra; it is cal­led our righteousnesse, not which is ours of our own, but which is made ours by Gods bountie. [...]erem. 23.6. And in this regard the sonne of Hilkia by the spirit of prophecy might well entitle him, Iehovam justi­tiam nostram, the Lord our righteousnesse. And thus much the trumpet of grace proclaimeth,1 Cor. 1.30. tea­ching us that Iesus [...]hrist is of God made unto us wisedome, and righteousnesse, and sanctification, and redemption.

CHAP. XIX. Of imputed righteousnesse made ours by faith.

GOD of his meere grace giues unto us the meritorious obedience of his Sonne, accounting it unto us as ours, and withall, by the same grace giues us faith to apprehend it and apply it to our selues. For by this hand of faith we claspe and embrace, and lay fast hold on Christs righteousnesse, and so make it ours. Now this faith is a principall beame of that grace which enlighteneth all the faculties of the reasonable foule, and is partly in the understanding, and partly in the will; for it is not a bare assent given to the object, seeing that such may be in evill Angels and reprobates; and in that sense St. Iames saith,Iam. 2.19. Daemones credunt & contremiscunt, the devills beleeue and tremble. but it isOr rather an affiance in Christ the re­deemer for pardon of sin, grounded on the promise of the Go­spell. a fiduciall assent to the promise of sa­ving grace in Christ. And as it is an assent, it hath place in the understanding; as it is fiduciall, it hath place in the will. A bare assent to the ob­ject, is too slender a setting forth of the formall cause of justifying faith, and too weake to sup­port that which is the life of a Christian, who saith with the Apostle,Galat. [...] 20. I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God, who loved me, and gaue himselfe for me.

[Page 38] Cornelius Bishop of Bitonto, Corn. Bitont. apud Whitak. Conc. ult. upon the first to the Romans saith, that faith is not a bare credulitie, but a trust and confidence, and includes some opera­tion of the will. God indeed as the principall pre­dominant, efficient cause worketh faith in man; this is the worke of God,Iohn 6.29. that wee beleeue on him whom he hath sent: but man in whom faith is wrought, formally beleeveth, and that willing­ly, not against his will.Aug. de Spir. & lit. ca. 34. All this St. Augustine plainely insinuateth, saying, Voluntas, qua credi­mus dono Dei tribuitur; the will whereby we beleeue is ascribed to the gift of God. So then it is necessa­rily inferred out of the precedent grounds, that both the will, and whole person of a Christian is singularly perfected by the righteousnesse of faith in Christ Iesus, whereby we, who were enemies, become well pleasing, and acceptable to GOD: and therefore the chosen vessell of mercy desired this,Philip. 3.9. and onely this he desired, that he might be foundin Christ, not having his owne righteousnesse, which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousnesse which is of God through faith.

CHAP. XX. Of the different participating of impu­ted righteousnesse by faith.

THE righteousnesse of Christs merit, which is the materiall cause of our justification, is equally communica­ted to all that haue it; so that in re­gard of it, one is not more righteous than ano­ther. For it is entirely imputed, unto whom it is imputed, and entirely embraced by all who par­ticipate of it. But because we apprehend and ap­ply it to our selues by a spirituall instrument or organ, namely, faith; hence it cōmeth to passe, that all doe not equally apprehend and applie it to themselues, for all haue not one degree or mea­sure of faith. But it is according to one degree, in one, and according to another degree, in another, in some weaker, and in others stronger: and yet all haue true faith, and sufficient to embrace Christs righteousnesse. For if we consider faith secundùm rationem specificam, in the essentiall forme, whereby it is specified and differenced from other habits and vertues, so it is in all right beleevers alike; for every essentiall forme is con­stituted in indivisibili, and doth not admit lati­tude, as not being capable of division by more or lesse. But if we consider it secundùm rationem individualem, as it is inherent in divers subjects, so it is in some more, in others lesse, and doth ad­mit [Page 40]very great latitude. And so there may be one degree of faith in St. Peter another in St. Paul, and another in St. Luke, and another in Onesi­mus. Hence was it that our Saviour said to the Centurion in Capernaum, Math. 10.8. I haue not found so great faith, no not in Israel. And to the woman of Ca­naan, O woman great is thy faith! Math. 15.28.

Aquinas aptly noteth,Aqui. 11. [...]ae. qu. 112. art. 4. that an habit is said to be great two wayes; First, in respect of the end and object, as being ordained to sime greaet good; se­condly, in respect of the subject, which doth lesse or more participate of the inherent habit. Now faith, as all other gifts and graces, comes downe from the Father of lights, and is dispensed and distri­buted to us by his Sonne,Ephes. 4.7. for to every one is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. So God is said to deale to every ma the measure of faith Rom. 12.3. and in the fixt verse following, He that prophecieth, must prophecy according to the proportion of faith. Aqui. in Rom. cap. 12. lect. 1. Whereupon Aquinas com­menteth, Nonsolùm alias gratias gratis datas dat Deus mensuratè, sed etiam ipsam sidem quae per di­lectionem operatur; God doth not onely giue by mea­sura; other graces freely given, but also faith it selfe which worketh by loue.

Now although Almightie God doth giue un­to every man in his first conversion a certaine measure of faith: yet doth he not alwayes giue unto every man that full measure, which he shall after attaine unto; but he shall goe on from one degree to another, and still receiue further in­crease and improvement of his faith, untill that [Page 41]measure allotted him be accomplished. Eor even as plants when they first bud, and herbs in the garden, when they first put forth, are not adorned with that beautie, stature, and perfection, which they shall after haue; so neither are graces and vertues given of God to men at the first, such, so great and perfect as afterward they shall be.Ambr. de voc. gent. lib. 2. cap. 3. Se­mina charisonatum plantae (que) virtutnus non in omni agrecordis humani totum hoc pariter quod futurae sunt, nascuntur; nec facilè reperitur in exordio ma­turitas, & in inchoatione perfectio. Exerit quidem frequenter potens & misericors Deus mir abiles istes suae operationis effectus & quibusdam menti­bus, non expectatâ profectuum morâ, totum simul, quicquid collaturus est invehit: The seeds of gra­ces (saith St. Ambrose) and plants of vertues, doe not in every field of mans heart spring up at the first, all that which they shall after be: neither is ripenes easily found in the beginning, and perfection at the first. God mightie and mercifull doth indeede oft­times shew forth these wonderfull effects of his ope­ration, and puts into some mindes, at once, all that he bestoweth of them, not expecting any delay of pro­ficiencie. Thus some haue their proper measure of faith fully measured out unto them at the first, but others are to labour and pray for proficiencie to receiue further increase and augmentation of their faith, saying or rather praying with the blessed Apostles unto the Lord, increase our faith. Luk. 9.5. And with the Father of him that was possessed with the dumb spirit; Lord I beleeue, Mark. 9. v. 24 helpe thou mine unbeliefe. This man beleeved, yet prayed [Page 42]he for decrease of unbeliefe; the Apostles belee­ved, yet prayed they to the Lord for increase of Faith. When as our gracious Saviour had spoken to his Apostles of his departure from them, and comming againe unto them he saith,Joh. 14. v. 29. and this haue I told you before it is come to passe, that when it is come to passe yee might beleeue. Now wee may not thinke that the Apostles beleeved not before, be­cause Christ said that yee might beleeue; but as St. Augustine expounds it,Aug. in Ioan. tract. 79. Creditur autem hoc non [...]de nova, sedaucta: this is beleeved not by a new faith, but by saith increased. For in every vertue and consequently in faith there be three things remarkable: First, initium, secondly, incremen­tum, thirdly, complementum. First, the beginning, secondly, the growth or increase, thirdly, the ful­nesse and perfection. Faith is begun in spirituall babes or infants, growes and increaseth in profi­cients, is full and perfect in men of ripe yeares, who dare boldly & considently say, as it is writ­ten, Let us draw neere with a true heart in full assu­rance of faith, Hebr. 10.22. having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

CHAP. XXI. Of righteousnesse inherent, and first of righteousnesse according to mo­rall Philosophie.

THat I may treat of this argument, with more perspicuitie to be better under­stood; it is not amisse to follow that old Pule, [...], He that will teach well, must first looke into the names of those things, whereof he treateth. [...]. Arist. Eth. 2. cap. 7. For seeing there are more things, than names, and consequently many things without names; hence it cōmeth to passe, that there be many names equivocall, signifying more things than one, whereby the understan­ding is apt to be deceived.

Wherefore it is necessary to consider what is meant by that righteousnesse, whereof I am now to speake.

In the schoole of humane philosophie wee are taught; that there be three things in the soule, [...], that is, passions, powers, habits. Arist. eth. 2.4 Now it is not of passions, or powers, but of ha­bits, that we are called vertuous or vicious, good or evill. And amongst habits is ranked Righte­ousnesse, by which men worke righteousnesse, de­siring and doing those things that are just. And this is taken ambiguously, either for a particular vertue, or a generall; for a particular vertue, as [Page 44]when it is made one of the foure cardinall ver­tues, and so distinguished from prudence, tempe­rance, and fortitude: Cicero Offic. 1. as you haue it in the Ora­tour, and in St. Bernard, Bern. de con­fid. ad Eug. li. 1. cap. 8. saying, Modum justitia quaerit, prudentia invenit, fortitudo vendicat, tem­perantia possidet, justice seekes mediocritie, pru­dence findes it, fortitude challengeth it, temper ance possesseth it.

Otherwhile it is taken for a generall vertue, a panarie or cornucopia of vertues. Whereupon Aristotle saith,Arist Eth. 5. cap. 3. [...], it is not a particular kinde of vertue, but an uni­versall vertue, according to that of Theognis; ‘ [...].’

In righteousnesse all vertue is summarily com­prised. The consideration hereof mooved the Philosopher to magnific it, and adorne it with that encomium,Arist. Eth. 5. cap. 3. [...]. Neither is the glorious evening starre, nor Lu­cifer the bright morning starre, so wondered at and admired of men, as the vertue of righteous­nesse; which if wee could behold with mortall eyes, it would ravish and bewitch us with the loue of it. So greatly, so highly did the pagan Philosopher extoll the morall vertue of righte­ousnesse.

CHAP. XXII. How Christian inherent righteousnesse differeth from morall righteousnesse.

CHristian righteousnesse excelleth mo­rall righteousnesse, as much as super­naturall things, things naturall, as heavenly things earthly, as the spi­rit the flesh.

Morall righteousnesse cōmeth short of Chri­stian inherent righteousnesse two wayes: First, Quoad rectum principium; secondly, quoad debi­tum finem: first, in respect of the procreant cause; secondly, in regard of the due end. Out of what fountaine flowes humane righteousnesse? Sure­ly from humane instruction, humane motiues, meanes and industrie. But our inherent righte­ousnesse flowes from GOD the onely fountaine of all true good, and is by him infused into our hearts through the powerfull operation of his sanctifying Spirit. What was the end which the pagan Philosophers aimed at, in the exercise of morall righteousnesse? Was it any other, than that of the vaine-glorious Pharisees in the Go­spell, the praise of men, and their owne glorie? But the end which we aime at in our good works is the true end, Finis ultimus & ultimatus, the last end even Gods glory, the very butte and marke whereat we shoote the arrowes of all our pious endeavours and holy actions, according to that [Page 46]most excellent rule of the Apostle,1 Cor. 10.31. Whether yee eate or drinke or. what soever you doe, doe all to the glorie of God.

Againe, Christian inherent right cousnesse, is no­tably distingnished from morall righteousnesse, for morall righteousnesse is acquired by many precedent acts of ventue, according to [...] Act les Rule;Arist. Eth. li. 2. cap. 1. [...], habits are gotten by semblable acts and operations. But in righteousnesse inherent it is farre other­wise; for the habit is first infused of God, not acquired by man, or humane meanes; then from the habit so infused, flow many subsequent acts of righteousnesse, even all good workes. The man must be righteous before his worke be righ­teous; we must be arbaresy ustitis, Esay 61.3. trees of righte­ousnesse, before wee can bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse:Math. 7.17. the good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree emill fruit; from hence our Saviour inferres this conclusion, Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them. Now inherent righteousnesse complies with morall righteous­nesse in this, that it is some times taken for a par­tioular vertue respecting onely our neigh bour, as the proper object thereof, and so the Apostle hath it, Tit. 2.12. where he saith; The Grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaohing us that denying ungodlinesse, and worldly lusts, wee should liue soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. There righteous­nesse towards man is distinguished from prery to­wards God, and sobrietie in our selues. Some­times [Page 47]it is taken for a generall vertue, compre­hending many vertues in it; so Moses useth it, saying,Deut. 6.25. And it shall be our righteousnesse if wee ob­serue to doe all these Commandements, before the Lord our God, as He hath commanded us. Where righteousnesse hath for the proper adequate ob­ject thereof, God, man, and our selues. Thus St. Peter taketh it, after he had said that God is no re­specter persons, he addes this proose:Act. 10.35. But in e­very Nation, he that feareth God and worketh righ­teousnesse is accepted with him. So our blessed Sa­viour seemes to take it,Math. 6.33. Secke yee first the kingdome of God, and the righteousnesse thereof and so St. Iohn, If yee know that he is righteous, 1 Ioh. 2. v. 29. you know that we that dath righteousnesse is borne of him and in the same Eplistle; He that doth righteousnesse, is righteous, as He is righteous. In this fense the Trumpet of grace te [...]eth the Law, the Law of righteousnesse, saying of the Iewes, Rom. 9.31. [...] Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse, hath not attained unto the Law of righteousnesse. So God by Ezechiel; Ezech. 18.20 The righteousnesse of the righteous shall be upon him: and after speaking of the refor­med penitent, vers. 22. In his rightenousnesse that he hath done he shall liue. Where he implies all duties of obedience injoyned in the Law to be the way unto life, according to that of Moses, Levit. 18. [...]. He that doth them, shall line in them.

CHAP. XXIII. Of the nature of inherent righteousnesse.

AS the will of man was depraved, and became imperfect through the losse of originall righteousnesse in the state of innocency; so it must be in some measure perfected by inherent righteousnesse, beforeman be fitted and prepared to passe from the stare of grace unto the state of glorie.

Inherent righteousnesse (called sometimes by Divines regeneration, or renovation, or inchoation of a new life in us) is a supernaturall gift, and sin­gular endowment powred into our hearts by God through the operation of his Spirit. And by meanes of this habituall endowment, wee are inclined and disposed to doe well, to obey Gods will, to doe those things that are just, to be fruit­full in good workes, and to worke all righteous­nesse. And so by degrees, we haue Gods image renewed in us, and put on the coate which Adam put off, for by this meanes, wee put on that new man which after God is created in right cousnesse and true Holinesse. Ephes. 4.24. Now by this righteousnesse we are truely and really just though imperfectly, and it is called our owne righteousnesse to distin­guish it from the imputed righteousnes of Christ Iesus, which is every way most perfect and ab­solute. The chosen vessell of mercie calls it our [Page 49]owne righteousnesse.Zanch. in cap. 3. ad Philop. And this he doth as Zan­chic observeth for two causes. First, because it is really and truely infused into our hearts of God by his Spirit, and so is made ours. Secondly, because the actions of pietie, equitie, tempe­rance, and all righteousnesse flowing from it are performed by us. For God by his grace giues us a will and desire to serue him, and feare him, and to doe righteously, but it is we that will and de­sire, it is we that serue God, and feare him, and doe the workes of righteousnesse.

CHAP. XXIIII. Of the fruit of inherent Iustice.

IF we would goe on still unto perfecti­on, we must bring forth the fruit of inherent justice, we must walke in the way of actuall righteousnesse, and be ever found in the practise of vertue and exercise of good workes: we must not suffer the heaven­ly fire, enkindled in our hearts, to goe out and die, but blow it up daily, by vertuous operations and actions.

Habituall righteousnesse is that roote of grace, the branches whereof are holy desires and endea­vours, and the fruits growing on them are good workes, wherein wee must labour to abound, that so as St. Peter saith,2 Pet. 1.1 [...]. An abundant entrance may be ministred unto us into the everlasting king­dome [Page 50]of our Lord and Savlour Iesus Christ. Now as we see the Rose growing on the branches, and crop it, for the fragrant smell, and other uses, but the roote in the ground is hid, and wee see it not: So the roote of righteousnesse is hid in the heart, and seene onely of God, who onely is [...], the understander of the heart, before whom all things are naked and bare, even the thoughts of men and Angells; but the fruit of good workes is seene of men, and is profitable to the doers, and to them that see them. Yea by them we are declaratorily justified before men, and re­puted just in the judgement of the Church, as Zacharie and Elizabeth were in the Synagogue.Act. 1.6. For this cause our blessed Saviour stirreth up and exhorteth his Disciples to the practise and exer­cise of good workes,Math. 5.16. saying unto them, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good workes, and glorifie your Father which is in hea­ven.

If wee be living branches, abiding in thetrue Vine, let us giue eare unto the Vine, saying unto us,Joh. 15.7.5.8. I am the Vine, and yee are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. And after, Herein is my Father glorified, that yee beare much fruit, so shall you be my Disciples. Here Christ insinuateth that if wee be in him, we must bring forth fruit, yea much fruit, many good workes, laying up in store for our selues a good foundation against the time to come, 1 Tim. 6.18. that we may lay hold on eternall life. We must not verbally only but really professe Christ, [Page 51]we must not say, Lord, Lord, but doe what he bids us.

Marcus Aurelius observeth that the old Greekes were wont to speake much,Mar. Auret cap. 8. and doe lit­tle; but the ancient Romanes were wont to speake little and doe much. Let not us Christians be like the talkatiue Grecians, but the actiue Romanes, let not us be good speakers, and ill doers, like unto the Philosopher in Gellius, [...],A. Gell. li. 17. cap. 19. factis procul, verbis tenus, all words and no deeds, least we be no better than the figge treegrowing betweene Hierusalem and Bethany, which bare leaues and no fruit, and therefore was accursed of Christ. It is not suitable to be called Christians, and in our liues to imitate pa­gans. Non sufficit nobis nomen Christianum, Amb. in serm. de ascen. Dom. quod accepimus, si non opera bona Christiani fecerimus, saith St. Ambrose, the name of Christian, which we haue taken on us, is not sufficient for us, unlesse wee doe the good workes of a Christian. What shall the name availe us without workes correspondent? Nomenhabes, & factum non habes, saith St. Augu­stine, Aug. in 1. ep. Ioan. c. 3. v. 17 thou hast the name, but not the deede; thou sayest well and doest ill, thou wearest Christs li­verie, and vauntest of the cognisance of his name, but indeede thou servest Satan, and doest the workes of the Devill, and doest the workes of the Devill, and art unlesse thou repent to be ranked amongst those miserable, for lorne hypocrites, of whom St. Paul writes to the Bi­shop of Crete, saying, They professe they know God, Tit. 2.16. but in workes they denie Him, being abhominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

CHAP. XXV. Of the nature and qualitie of good workes.

MAnuall Artists doe by a certaine rule trie and examine their worke, whe­ther it be right or wrong; even so in Religion, wee trie and examine our morall actions by the Law of GOD as an infallible rule. If they erre from this rule, they are [...], transgressions, evill workes: if they accord with the rule, and are conforma­ble to the morall Law, they are so farre forth to be judged good workes. Now in a good worke, two things are remarkeable; first, as it is a worke; secondly, as it is good; for as it is a worke, it is from nature; as it is good, it is from grace: and as it is a good worke, both from nature and grace; and all from God, who is the onely author of nature, and doner of grace.

God doth not onely giue us our being, and preserue us in it, but supports and sustaineth us by his concurrence in all our actions. For he as universall and supreme agent, hath his influence into all the actions and operations of inferiour a­gents, so that in him we both liue and moue and haue our being, and without him wee neither mooue nor worke, wee can doe nothing; yet in that by his concurrence wee immediatly doe this [Page 53]or that worke, it is said to be from us; but if it betruely good, the goodnesse of it is immediatly from Gods grace working in us, both to will it, and to doe it of his good pleasure.

We must alwayes lay this for a ground, that good workes must flow from the fountaine of faith, without which it is impossible to please GOD;

In the next place wee are to consider, that the goodnesse of a morall act depends of two things: First, the object; secondly, the circumstances.Pet. Soto de instit. sac. part. 2^•. lect. 4^•. The object is some dutie of obedience comman­ded in the Law, the circumstances are the end, time, place, &c. but the chiefest is the end inten­ded, for this according to Aquinas doth qualifie and specifie the act, for actus exterior, saith he, informatur ex voluntate, Aqui. in Rom. ca. 14. lect. 2^•. Rom. 2.14. the outward act is formed by the will, that is, intending such an end. Now when the Gentiles, which haue not the Law, doe by nature the things conteined in the Law, their works are morally good in respect of the object. But because they intend not Gods glorie, but their owne, they faile in the circumstance, their inten­tion is evill, and consequently their workes. Whereupon St. Augustine considering, that they neither proceeded of faith, nor aimed at the right end, remoues all goodnesse from them, saying,Aug. praesas. in Psal. 31. Vbi fides non erat, bonum opus non erat, bonum e­nim [Page 54]opus intentio facit, intentionem fides dirigit: where there was no faith, there was no good worke, for intention makes the worke good, and faith directs the intention. And after, Non valde aspicias quid facit homo, sed quid, cum facit, aspiciat; Doe not greatly obserue what a man doth, but what he aimeth at, when he doth it.

And indeed heathens and hypocrites doe good works, quoad genus operis, but not quoad intentio­nem mandantis, they doe the worke conteined in the Law, but not according to the intention of the Com­mander, who intendeth his owne glorie. And so their workes, although they seeme glorious and specious to men, yet are they but like an earthen pot guilded over, which seemes gold, and is not, or like grapes curiously painted on the wall which the birds flie to, but cannot feede on them. Sunt opera saith St. Augustine, Aug. in Ioan. tract. 25. quae videntur bona, sine fide Christi, & non sunt bona, quia non referuntur ad eum finem ex quo sunt bona; there be workes which seeme good without faith in Christ, and are not good, because they are not referred to that end, whereby they are good. Hence is it that according to that trite and usuall distinction both the works of pagans and hypocrites are deemed good se­sundùm substantiam actus, non secundùm modum requisitum, in regard of the substance of the act, but not in regard of the manner requisite to such an act. For to honour their parents, to relieue the poore, and such like, may be good in the substance of the act, and yet come short in the circumstance, and faile in the manner. Whereas we know that [Page 55]God lookes not so much to our doing, as to our well-doing, and as it hath beene observed by Di­vines;Flor. Granat. parte 6. ca. 4. Deus non tam remunerat verba quàm adver­bia; God doth not so much reward verbs as adverbs, not so much doing, as well-doing; Rom. 2.7. for as the Apo­stle saith, He will render to them who by patient con­tinuance in well-doing, seeke for honour and glorie, and immortalitie eternall life.

Moses said unto the house of Israell, Deut. 6.25. it shall be our righteousnesse if we obserue to doe all these Com­mandements before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded. Not onely that which he hath com­manded us, but in such manner as he hath com­manded: For that which is good loseth the beau­tie and glory of the goodnesse of it, when it is not done after a good manner. Men spend a part of their life idely, doing nothing; another part care­lesly, in doing that which concernes them not, and another part wickedly in doing ill. But wee that are Christians must endeavour to spend all our dayes in doing well, and striue to imitate our gracious Saviour, of whom it is said,Mark. 7.37. He hath done all things well.

The sonne of Amos exhorteth us to learne this lesson, saying, Cease to doe evill, learne to doe well. Esa. 1.16, 17. And the Lord God himselfe in the beginning of times said unto Cain, the second man in the world, If thou doest well, shalt not thou be accepted? Gen. 4.7. if thou doest not well, sinne lieth at the doore. O let us then be diligent in well-doing, painfull labou­rers in Christs Vineyard; let us be fruitfull in good workes, committing the keeping of our [Page 56]soules unto God in well-doing, as unto a faith­full creatour.

CHAP. XXVI. That no man by his owne righteousnesse keepeth the Law, and is without sinne.

THe morall Law, is a rule of obedience, telling us what we ought to doe, not teaching us what we are able to doe. As long as wee are in this bodie of death, the remainder of the old Adam, the part unregenerate,Galat. 5.17. the flesh fighteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. So that wee cannot doe what we would; and consequently wee can­not keepe the Law, as we would.

Upon this unavoidable Supposition I may con­clude, that it is a vaine and needlesse speculation, to dispute of mans possibilitie to keepe the Law; and so to be without sinne if he will. And thus much St. Hierome intimates,Hieron. li. 1^o. adv. Pelag. Posse hominem esse sine peccato, si velit, aut verum est aut falsum; si ve­rum est ostende quis fuerit, si falsum est, quicquid falsum est, nunquam fieri potest: That is, for a man to be able to be without sinne if he will, is either true or false, if it be true, shew who it is, if it be false, what soever is false can never be done. As if he had said to Critobulus, either shew me a man that is with­out sinne and keepeth the Law, or else your dis­puting is de impossibili, of a thing impossible, and [Page 57]therefore vaine and frivolous. It is said of no man but the man Christ Iesus, who is also God, that he did all things well; that he did no sinne;Mar. 7.37. 1 Pet. 2.22. in his mouth there was no guile. It was his incompara­ble priviledge and unparalleled prerogatiue, to be agnus immaculatus, a Lambe without blemish, and without spot, as he is called by St. Peter. 1 Pet. 1.19. As for us, we haue all gone astray like sheepe, wee all haue beene as an uncleane thing, and all our righ­teousnesse is as filthy ragges; and there is none just on earth that doth good and sinneth not. God in the beginning inriched us with grace, and enabled us to doe his will; but wee by trans­gression are become bankrupts, unable to per­forme our due obedience. So that when we looke our selues in the glasse of the Law, wee espie our manifold staines and spots of sinne, wee see our miserable infirmity and disability to good, which causeth us to implore the divine aide, and assi­stance of grace. And indeede to this end, as St. Augustine notes, The Law was given, Aug. de Sp. & lit. ca. 19. that grace might be sought for; and grace was given, that the Law might be fulfilled: for it was not through the fault of the Law that it was not kept, but through the fault of the wisdome of the flesh; which fault, was to be revealed by the Law, and healed by grace. Whence wee gather, that,Rom. 8.3. that same [...], cap. 8. vers. 3. doth accrew un­to it from us, in quo infrim abatur per carnem, in as much as it was weakened through the flesh.

So that during the combat of the Spirit and the flesh, and the contrarietie of these two in us, posito [Page 58]hoc, our condition being this, as the Apostle saith, Wee cannot doe the things we would; Gal. 5.17. but wee would keepe the Law,Rom. 7.22. for we delight in the Law of God after the inner man. Yet upon a new supposall of the impediment remooved, St. Augustine grants a possibilitie of keeping the Law,Aug. de Sp. & lit. ca. 3.5. saying, Behold how that perfect righteousnesse is without example in men, and yet it is not impossible: for it might be, if so great a will was applied, as is sufficient to so great a thing. And it would be so great, if we were ignorant of none of those things which pertaine to righteousnesse, and those things did so delight our minde, that, that delight did overcome whatsoever other impediment of pleasure or sorrow. Which that it is not so, it is not in respect of impossibilitie, but Gods judgement.

So much St. Augustine grants, upon a suppo­sall which by the judgement of God shall not be, and he said a little before,Aug. ubi su­pra. Neminem tam perfectae justitiae in hac vita fuisse, velesse, vel futurum esse, that none in this life hath beene so perfectly righte­ous, or is or shall be.

When God gaue the Law in Mount Sinai, he knew mans weaknesse, how unable he was to keepe it;Bern. in Cant. serm. 50. Nec latuit praeceptorem, praecepti pondus hominum excedere vires, Neither was the Comman­der ignorant, that the waight of his commandement exceeds the powers of men. But he did it to throw downe the wisedome of the flesh, which is an ene­mie to God and his Law; he did it to cause man to see his owne vilenesse, his spirituall povertie and weaknesse.Bern. ubi su­pra. For, Mandando impossibilia, non [Page 59]praevaricatores homines fecit, sed humiles: by com­manding things impossible, he made not men sinners but humble, saith St. Bernard. He thought it be­hoouefull, that man should be admonished of his insufficiency, that so he might seeke and thirst af­ter a Mediatour, that he might more ardently de­fire grace, by praying to him, who is all-suffici­ent, who is nigh to all that call upon him, to all such as call upon him faithfully.

Gods commandements implie perfection, and he commands us to be perfect, but to this end, that wee seeing and acknowledging our owne wants and imperfections, may vehemently desire to be perfected by his grace. And here wee are to obserue that golden rule of St. Prosper, worthy to be observed of all.

In Omnibus menitis Dei, at (que) mandatis, Prosp. ep. ad Demet. ☜ una ea­dem (que) ratio est & divinae gratiae, & humanaae abe­dientiae: nec ob aliud unquam datur praeceptum, ni­si ut quaeratur praecipientis auxilium: In all Gods admonitions and commands, there is one and the same reason, both of Gods grace and of mans obedi­ence: neither is the commandement at any time gi­ven for any other thing, but that the helpe of him that commandeth may be sought for. So much obe­dience, as the Law requireth of us, so much grace wee stand in need of, and this are wee to obtaine by prayer from him, who is the fountaine of grace. Wee and our Fathers haue done amisse, wee haue turned aside, every one to his owne way; wee all haue sinned, and come short of the glory of God, and so all doe greatly stand in need [Page 60]of his grace.Prov. 20.9. Iob 25.4. Who can say, I haue made my heart cleane, I am pure from my sinne? or how can he be cleane that is borne of a woman?

We reade in holy Writ, that there was one Lot in Sodome, whose righteous soule they vexed with their uncleanenesse; of two amongst all the thou­sands in Israel, who were vouchsafed as worthy to enter into the land of Canaan, the land flowing with milke and honey, Iosuah the sonne of Nun, and Caleb the sonne of Iephunnch, yea wee reade of three, who might deliver their owne soules from temporall judgements by their righteous­nesse, Noah, Iob, and Daniel. These and many o­ther we reade of in holy Writ, who were righte­ous in mans judgement, and in Gods gracious ac­ceptation: but we reade not that any one of them did perfectly keepe the Law, and was without sinne.Ambr. apol. 1. David. ca. 4. Whereupon St. Ambrose saith; Da mihi aliquem sine prolapsione delicti? Shew me any one without the fault of sinne? Such an one would be a rare miracle, worthily to be admired of all. But alas! such an one is like the mountaine of gold, or the Philosophers stone, or the second intenti­ons in Logicke, which haue no reall absolute ex­istence; and indeede are nothing, saue onely in the theorie, and operation of the understanding: In scholasticall speculation, you may heare the noise of such an one, but you shall not sooner find him than the eccho in the Poet, Quem non inve­nis usquam, esse putes nusquam, whom you finde not any where, you may suppose to be no where. For St. Hierome, averreth the truth when he saith, [Page 61] Solus Deus est in quem peccatum non cadit, Hiero. Dama­so, de prod. fl. it is God onely, who is not subject to sinne; in like manner, St. Bernard saith, Non peccare, Bern. in Cant. serm. 23. Dei justitia est, ho­minis justitia indulgentia Dei: not to sinne is Gods righteousnesse, mans righteousnesse is Gods indul­gencie. So that we must all acknowledge our im­perfection, wee must confesse with St. Iames, In many things, wee offend all. And with him that leaned on the brest of our Saviour, drinking thence of the streames of grace, with him also wee must comesse all, and say;1 Iohn 1.8. If wee say that wee haue no sinne, wee deceiue our selues, and there is no truth in us.

CHAP. XXVII. Of the growth and increase of inherent righteousnesse.

THe vegetatiue facultie in man, after he is formed never ceaseth to worke by augmenting and increasing the bodie, untill it haue attained due dimensions of length, bredth, and height, in that just quanti­tie, which is allotted as proper and peculiar to e­very particular man; whereby he is in that re­spect perfected. And this augmentatiue facultie, as Scaliger hath it, ceaseth by Law of nature,Exerc. 282. the thirtieth yeare, least shee should affect infinitenes. For that was to usurpe the prerogatiue of her [Page 62]Creator, who is natura naturans, the former and creator of nature, and who onely is actually in­finite.

This just quantitie is not acquired at once, but by degrees; so we increase in our infancie, more in our child-hood, yet more in our youth, never ceasing, untill we haue attained natures perfecti­on. In like manner, in the spirituall estate of the sanctified regenerate man, there is a measure of perfection allotted to every particular man by God, which is not ordinarily given at once, but attained by degrees. First, wee are infants, then proficients, and after perfect men in Christ. We are infants of what age soever we be, when wee are borne a new by the laver of regeneration: for then,Barthol: Car. sum. Concil. Concil. Vien. as the councell of Vienna defineth, wee received informing grace and vertues infused in re­spect of the habit, though not of use, in regard of the time. After that we beginne to produce those ha­bits in actuall exercising of righteousnesse, holi­nesse, and other vertues, profiting and growing up into Christ who is the head; till at length by de­grees we come unto a perfect man, unto the mea­sure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. Ephes. 4.13.

Our blessed Saviour received the Spirit with­out measure:John 3.34. that He as the head might by the influence of grace convey and distill sense and motion into all the members of his my sticall bo­die. But every member receiveth grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Ephes. 4.7. Therefore whereas Christ received the Spirit without mea­fore,Aug. in Ioan. tract. 74. St. Augustine saith, Ceteris ad mensuram da­tur, [Page 63]& datus additur, donec unicui (que) pro modo suae perfectionis propria mensura compleatur: To the rest he is given by measure, and being given, is increa­sed, untill every mans proper measure be fulfilled, according to the modell of his perfection. Now eve­ry mans proper measure of perfectiō is unknown to him, and knowne onely to God: to the end that every one of us should striue and contend by all meanes to attaine it, here in observing that of the Greekes, [...], aspire to the highest, and thou shalt attaine a mediocritie, a measure befitting thee.

Now this is not attained at once, but by de­grees, Is qui summum locum ascendere nititur, gra­dibus, vel passibus, non autem saltibus elevatur: He (saith St. Gregorie) who striues to ascend up a most high place, is raised by degrees, Greg. ep. l. 9. ep. 71. by steps and paces, not by jumpes and leapes. Wee must by lit­tle and little aspire with the wings of prayer, and ardent desire of perfection; and although all­mightie God delay us and put us off, yet we must not giue him over, but importune him with the Widow in the Gospell;Luke 18. ☜ Aug. in 1. op. Ioan. 3. for as St. Augustine excellently noteth, Deus differendo extendit de­siderium, desiderando extendit animum, extenden­do facit capacem; God by differring us, extends the desire, by desiring, he enlargeth the minde and by enlarging it, He maketh it capable, that is, able to receiue such a measure of perfection, as hee is pleased to giue us. And wee must with all dili­gence and devotion awaite the time when hee will be pleased to doe it. For as he doth not pre­sently [Page 64]reward our workes with eternall life, but in due time: so saith Aquinas, he doth not pre­sently enercase grace, Aqui. 1^•. 2 [...]. qu. 114. art. 8. but in his time when wee shall be sufficiently disposed to the receiving of increase of grace. And for this (to use the Prophet Davids phrase) shall every man that is godly pray unto him in a time when he may be found; which time, that we may find,Luk. 18.1. our Saviour directs us by a parable, teaching us, alwayes to pray, and not to faint. And hereunto the chosen vessell of mercie exci­teth us in that briefe exhortation,1 Thes. 5.17. [...], pray without ceasing.

CHAP. XXVIII. Of Spirituall sloath an enemie to perfection.

SPirituall sloath in Christians is a maine obstacle to their growth in Christia­nity, a mighty impediment hindering their proficiency in grace and vertue. For many are so stupified and benummed with a carelesse negligence of their estate, that they passe on their daies from weeke to weeke, from month to month, and from yeare to yeare, never seri­ously considering with themselues, whether they grow better or worse in their spirituall estate and course of vertue, whereas indeed nothing is more true, than that of old, Non progredi est regredi, not to goe forward, is to goe backward in the way of [Page 65]pietie. And surely he was never good, who doth not desire and endeavour to be better; and he that endeavoureth not to be better, will soone grow worse, soone learne to goe backward with the Crab-fish in Plinie: Profectò nolle proficere, defi­cere est, indeede to be unwilling to grow better, Plin. nat. hist. lib. 9. cap. 31. Bern. ep. 254. ad Garin. is to grow worse: with St. Bernard, Let us not delude and dereiue our selues, for as that holy Father tells us in the same place, inter profectum & defectum in hoc statu mortalis vitae nihil medium invemitur; In this state of mortall life, there is no middle course betwixt proficiency and deficiency, betwixt going backward and going forward in grace. And there the same Father speaking of the just and righteous saith;Bernard. ub [...] suprà. Iustus nunquam arbitratur se comprehendisse; nunquam dicitsatis est, sed semper esurit sitit (que) justitiam; The just man never suppo­seth that he hath comprehended, never saith it is enough: but alwayes hungreth and thirsteth after righteousnesse. So that if he might liue alwayes, he would alwayes, as much as in him lieth, striue to be more righteous. But as the emptiest blad­ders are most filled with winde, so the poorest Christians haue many times the greatest conceit and opinion of their own sufficiency; they thinke they haue enough, when as in truth they haue a great deale too little. Omnia illi desunt, Bern. de con­sid. l. 2. ca. 7. qui nil sibi deesse putat, he wants all things, who thinketh he wanteth nothing, saith holy Bernard. When our Saviour rehearsed the precepts of the second Table to the young man; he answered present­ly, All these things haue I kept from my youth up: Mat. 19. v. 20, 21. [Page 66] what lacke I yet? but the wisedome of GOD threw downe his pride, and stopped his mouth with a, Si vis esse perfectus, &c. If thou wilt be per­fect, goe and sell all that thou hast, and giue to the poore, and thou shalt haue treasure in heaven. This was a corrosiue to his stomach, a pill which he could not well digest. And yet there ought to be in every one of us such a measure of perfection, as that through effectuall charitie, and loue of God, we should be readie and willing upon just occasion, actually to relinquish father and mo­ther, wife and children, our goods, our lands, our liues, and all things, for the asserting of GODS glorie, and for the testimony of Iesus. This historie of that young man in the Gospell teacheth us, how forcible a remora the loue of the world and worldly things is, to stay the shippe of the Christian soule, saying on in her voyage un­to perfection and felicitie. Whereupon the A­postle St. Iohn cryes amaine unto us,1 Iohn 2.15. Loue not the world, nor the things of the world, for if any man loue the world, the loue of the Father is not in him.

CHAP. XXIX. Of three evill qualities in spirituall sloath.

ACarelesse negligence of our estate in pietie, is attended with three evill properties: First, it is cold and re­misse in proficiency; secondly, it is heavie and dull in going on to per­fection; thirdly, it is a waster and destroyer of grace, and so a maine enemie to perfection: Wherefore this spirituall sluggishnesse is by Io­hannes de sancto Geminiano aptly compared to Sa­turne, the highest planet, for three things: First, He is infrigidativus, of a cold qualitie;Ioan. de Sanct. Gem. de exem­pl. & Simili [...] rerum. lib. 1. cap. 2. second­ly, He is tardè incessivus, of slow motion; third­ly, He is faetuum mortificativus, a destroyer of young ones.

First, as Saturne is of a cold cooling qualitie, causing coldnesse in the inferior bodies, and ex­citing melancholy: So spirituall sloath makes a carelesse Christian become cold and remisse in charitie, in the loue of God and man; for he nei­ther so loveth GOD objectivè, as to will more good to Him than to any creature, neither doth he so loue Him appretiativè, as to value Him at a higher rate or price than the whole world, or his owne life; Nedum intensivè, much lesse doth he loue God with a greater and more ardent degree of loue, than his owne life or any other creature. [Page 68]And seeing the love of our neighbour is the re­flection of Gods loue in out hearts, this being so remisse, that other of necessitie must be very coole, and so coole as that he neither loveth his neighbour as himselfe, after the rule of the Law, nor as Christ loved us, which is the rule of the Gospell. So that whereas inward perfection con­sists in the loue of God and our Neighbour, saith A­quinas, Aquin. in Heb. cap. 6. lect. 1. the spirituall sluggard must needs come short of perfection, being so cold and defectiue in this golden vertue of Charitie, which is Vincu­lum perfectionis, Col. 3.14. the very bond of perfection.

Againe, as Saturne is of a slow motion, finish­ing his course through the Zodiacke in no lesse than thirtie yeares: so the spirituall sluggard, is very slow in the use of grace, and exercise of good workes, going so slowly on unto perfecti­on; as that he doth scarce formicinum gradum movere, mooue as fast as the pismire, and stands in neede to be brobd with Salomons goade, and set on his way with a Vade ad formicam piger &c. Goe to the Ant thou sluggard, Prov. 6.6. consider her wayes and be wise: which having no guide, over-seer or ruler, provideth her meate in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

Lastly, as Saturne is destructiue to young ones lately brought forth; so spirituall drowsinesse and remissenesse even slay the fruits of grace and vertue, when they begin to spring up. If any pi­ous motions to good, be lately engendred in the heart, either by reading the word of life, or hea­ring it read, preached or expounded, or by pri­vate [Page 69]admonition, or any good meanes, by and by this pestilent vice is readie to strangle them in the birth. Children borne under the dominion of Saturne, are not vitall, many times die within a few dayes, as the Astrologers say, so good mo­tions begunne in the spirituall sluggard, oft die as soone as they be borne, and so never come to perfection. So that (whereas Fulgentius saith of Saturne, Filios verò suos comedisse fertur; Fulg. Myth. ad Catum. l. 1. in Fab. Sat. quòd quodcun (que) tempus gignit, consumit; He is said to devoure his sonnes, because whatsoever time be­getteth, it consumeth) this spirituall sloath doth it not in a long tract of time, but in the nativitie or soone after; for this common pernicious vice is like the red Dragon in the Apocalyps, Apoc. 12.4. which stands before the woman readie to be delivered, for to devoure her childe as soone as it is borne. But wee must shake off this pestiferous Viper, wee must be vigilant, and stand upon our watch every houre, least whilst wee sleepe the enemie come, and sow tares amongst the good seeds of grace sowen in our hearts. When the fire of the Spirit is begun to be enkindled in us, let us not quench it, and put it out againe with the cold wa­ter of carelesse remissenesse and negligence: but as the Trumpet of grace exhorteth, let us with all diligence and holy endeavour, [...],2 Tim. 1.6. blow up the sparkes of grace already sparkling in our soules, let us by all meanes nourish them, but not extin­guish them, that so we may grow up into Christ our head, unto a perfect man, following the most wholesome counsell of the great Apostle [Page 70]St. Peter, concluding his last Epistle with this heavenly exhortation, Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ: to him be glorie both now and for ever, Amen.

CHAP. XXX. What perfection of inherent righteousnesse is attainable in this life.

MOst absolute and infinite perfecti­on of righteousnesse is onely in God, who is that light in whom there is no darknesse at all; of whom the sweet singer of Israel could say,Psal. 145.17. The Lord is righteous in all his wayes, and holy in all his workes. But that righteousnesse which is in man is finite and limi­ted, and such is all the perfection he can attaine in it: and both accrew unto him by participati­on, from him who is the fountaine of righteous­nesse and perfection. Now that perfection com­patible to man,Aquin. in Phil. cap. 3. lect. 2. is two-fold, first, Viae, secondly, Patriae: the first incident to man in the state of grace, whilst he is as yet a way-faring pilgrim and stranger on earth: the second belonging to man when he comes into his heavenly Country, and is a member of the triumphant Church in the state of glorie. What perfection of righte­ousnesse wee may attaine in the way of this life, wee are now to enquire of: and in searching it [Page 71]out, wee shall finde all our perfection attended with much imperfection. Haec hominibus sola per­fectio, si imperfectos esse se noverint: Heron. adv. Peti. li. 1^o. This is the onely perfection in men, if they acknowledge them­selues imperfect.

But how shall we know and acknowledge our selues imperfect, but by finding out in our selues the defect and want of those things whereby we should be perfected? and by what other meanes can wee possibly be perfected, than by knowing God, and beleeving in God, and loving God, and obeying God For by such knowledge, faith, charitie, and obedience, Christian perfection is attained. But alas, as the Apostle saith,1 Cor. 13.9. wee know in part, and so wee beleeue in part, and loue God in part, and obey him in part. St. Gregorie therefore knits the foure linkes of this chaine, by the first and the last with a tantò quantò, saying, tantò quis operatur, quantò Deum noverit: Greg. in Ezek. hom. 22. so much as wee know God, so much wee obey him in our workes; such as our knowledge is of him, such is our obe­dience to him, such is our righteousnesse; and hereupon St. Iohn saith, Hereby wee know, 1 Iohn 2.3. that wee know him, if wee keepe his Commandements. Now wee cannot keepe his Commandements, unlesse wee loue him, for this is the loue of God, 1 Ioh. 5. v. 3. that wee keepe his Commandements; and wee can­not loue him, unlesse we beleeue in Him,Gal. 5.6. for faith worketh by loue, and we cannot beleeue in Him, unlesse wee know him, and can say with the Apostle, Scio cui credidi; 2 Tim. 1.12. I know whom I haue beleeved.

[Page 72] That wee may be perfect, wee must haue per­fection two wayes,Aquin. in Heb, cap. 5. lect. 2. saith Aquinas: First, secun­dùm intellectum, in our understanding, by being able to discerne and judge aright of things: se­condly, secundùm affectum, in our affection, by charitie, cleaving wholy to God. For charitie is in a sort of as large extent as inherent righte­ousnesse, being the fulfilling of the Law, the mo­ther of obedience and every good worke.

We are perfect in that wee haue faith, hope, and other vertues truely in some measure: but in that we haue them not in full measure, we are im­perfect. and so our perfection, though true, is still imperfect. St. Paul said of himselfe he was not perfected, Phil. 3.12. after in the fifteenth verse he calles himselfe perfect:Fulg. de prae­destin. ad Mo­nimum. li. 10. Whereupon Fulgen­tius saith of him; He was perfect by expectation of reward, imperfect through wearisomenesse of the combat; Hee was perfect, in that with his minde he served the Law of God, he was imperfect, in that with his flesh he served the Law of sinne. Thus it was in the chosen vessell of mercy; much more in us in whom all our perfection is ever attended with many imperfections.

CHAP. XXXI. Of perfect righteousnesse in this life more punctually and plainly.

AS all the lines in a Circle passing from the Circumference through the mediate meete in the Center; So all the righteous workes of the Saints proceeding from grace through faith are terminated and mee [...]e in the Center of Gods glorie;1 Cor. 10.31. according to that pre­cept of the Apostle, Doe all to theglorie of God: and surely to doe so is true perfection.

Now every thing is perfect, saith Aquinas, Aquin. in Phi­lip. cap. 3. lect. 2. in such sort, as it doth adhere to the perfection thereof; but our ultimate perfection is God and his glory; now to referre all our actions totally and actually to God and his glorie, is perfectio patriae, the perfection of our heavenly Countrie, and not to be found in any man on earth, saue in Christ onely, who in the dayes of his flesh was both Viator and Comprehensor, both in the state of grace and state of glory. But,Aquin. [...]b [...] supra. as Aquinas saith againe, to apply our hearts in nothing unto that which is against God, and referre our whole life habitually unto God, is perfectio viae, that per­fection of us way-faring pilgrims,☞ad quam omnes tenentur ex necessitate salutis; whereunto all are bound upon necessitie of salvation. No man doth [Page 74]actually referre his whole life unto God and his glorie;Eccles. 7.20. James 3.2. for there is noman just an earth, which doth good and sinneth not: and in many things wee all offend. David and St. Peter, and other holy men of God had their faults and errors, and yet were habitually righteous; therefore remarkeable is that excellent observation of St. Ambrose, Di­vina justicia Denitune justi, ☞ Ambr. in Luc. cap. 1. ex mantir habitu, non aliquo factor [...] God [...] measare the [...] of the righteous, by [...] minde, not by some event of workes. [...] none could be righteous, none would [...] none could expect the reward of glory: it is the triumphant Church, which is all faire, and there is no [...]ish in hen. There fore howsoever the perfectists con [...]iue of it, it is most true which St. Augustine writeth;Aug. de eccl. dogm. cap. 85. Nullus sanctus & justus caret peceato, thee tamen hoc desinit esse sanctus & justus, [...]: no just and holy man is [...] sildae; never the lesse he doth nick cease to be holy and just, seting in affection he re­taines sanctitis. So that still a man may be habi­tually righteous, who is not without all error and actuall prevarication.

To loue and affect holinesse is a degree of ho­linesse; as to desire and endeavour to be perfect is a degree of perfection according to that in St. Bernard, Bern. ad Ga­rin. Abb. ep. 254. Studere perfectioni perfectio est, to study to be perfect is perfection. Luther writes of one Staupitius, a godly learned man, that he vowed a thousand times, Luther in Gal. cap. 5. that he would become a better man; yet after all his vowes he perceived no impreouement [Page 75]or bettering of himselfe. Now in that he was not better, he was imperfect, but in as much as be desired carnestly, and endeavoured to be a bet­ter man, he was perfect.Bern. uhi su­pro. For as Saint Bernard saith, Indefessum proficiendi studium & jugis cona­tus ad perfectionens perfectio reputatur: An inde­fatigable desire of profiting and continwall endea­vouring to be perfect is perfection. Wee desire to be vertuous holy and good, but are not such as we desire to be, and therefore St. Augustine saith,Aug. 1. cp. Ioan. ca. 3. Tota vita boni Christiani sanctum desiderium est, the whole life of a Christian is an holy desire; but if there be in us a desire, a readie and willing mind, God will accept of that from us, which he him­selfe hath wrought in us. If through [...] of Christ sanctifying of us and renew [...] [...] Gods image, we bring forth the fruits of the Spi­rit, Rom. 7.6. walking in newnesse of Spirit, and not in the oldnesse of the Letter, then are we perfect according to the state of this life.

If we walke in the Spirit, Gal. 5.16. striving against sinne and the flesh, wrastling with Satan and the world, obeying the secret motions and sweet invitations of grace; then are wee perfect,Aug. de doct. Christ. 3.39. quanturn in hac vita, as St. Augustine speakes, with such a mea­sure of perfection as is attaineable in this life.

If so be then we referre our whole life to God and his glorie, if wee endeavour and studie to walke in the Spirit, and to bring forth abun­dantly the fruits of the Spirit, then are wee per­fect, for wee keepe the Law, seeing the righte­ousnesse of the Law is fulfilled in them,Rom. 8.3. who walke [Page 76]not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. And if wee doe this, what is it but to doe the will of God, but to please God, but to hearken unto the voice of God speaking to Abraham the. Father of the faithfull, and in him to all that be of the faith of Abraham, Ger. 17.1. saying; I am the almightie God, walke thou before me and be thou prefect.

CHAP. XXXII. Of Perseverance.

PErseverance is a stable and firme conti­nuance in grace and righteousnesse. And it is a singular gift of God not to be acquired by humane meanes or merits. It is a rare and admirable vertue, which the old Philosophers and Sages of the world could not well understand; and no marvaile, see­ing Adam adorned with such ornaments of grace did not learne it in Paradise. Now this singular gift and rare endowment is necessarily required to the consummating of our perfection by inhe­rent righteousnesse. This the first Adam wanted, this the second Adam in whom is the fulnesse of all grace, freely conferreth and bestoweth on us; and therefore Fulgentius saith well, Per illum a­misimus priorem gratiam, peristum recepimus am­pliorem; Fulg. ferm. de dup. nat. By him (the first Adam) wee lost the for­mer grace: by this (the second Adam) we haue re­ceived more ample grace.

[Page 77] Although Adam was perfect and righteous in the day he was created, yet for want of perseve­rance hee became imperfect and unrighteous: whereupon St. Augustine noteth thus much; Et­si peceatum in solo libero arbitrio erat constitutum; Aug. Ench. ad Laur. cap. 106. [...] temen retinen dae justitiaesufficie [...]at solum libe­ru [...] arbitrium, nisi participatione immu [...]abilis boni divinam adintorium praberetur; Although sinne stood in the free will alone; yet the free will alone was not sufficient to retaine righteousnesse, unlesse divine ayde was aff [...]ded by partaking of the un­changeable good. So that as without perseverance we cannot hold on our way and retaine righte­ousnesse; so neither without it can wee be per­fected and consummate in righteousnesse.

Hell is full of good purposes, but no perfor­mances of good be there: therefore now let us not be wearie of well-doing, for in due season we shall reape an eternall reward. Let us not be like to pope Eugenius, to whom St. Bernard saith,Bern. de con­sid. ad Eug. li. cap. 1. Vbi incipis, ibi desicis, where thou beginnest, there thou endest. When we purpose to ascend up into the tabernacle of the Lord, and climbe up the craggie rocke of vertue, wee must not delay and conferre with flesh and bloud, or stand to parley with the world, [...], it is no fit time to sit downe and demurre; for as St. Ambrose saith, Dum cunctaris & dubitas, iter quod ingressus es per­didisti, whilst thou delayest and doubtest, Ambr. in sest. Cathedrae S^d Petri. thou hast lost thy journey, which thou didst begin.

The traveller by holding on his way with pa­tience, at length commeth to his inne; the little [Page 78]bird carrying at hee bill a little clay or straw, and such like matter, by little and little at length si­nisheth her nest; the Merchant patiently holding on his course amids many stornes and tempests, and other dangers at Sea, at length commeth to the Haven where he would be; the painefull Ma­son by laying stone upon stone, in continding his labour, at length erects a stately and goodly buil­ding. Now if diligent perseverance be able to doe these things, being assisted by nature, how much more powerfull shall he be in spirituall af­faires, being assisted by grace. Oh let us be con­stant, immoveable, alwayes abounding in the workes of righteousnesse; let us not faint nor fayle in doing well, that we may obtaine an in­heritance which faileth not: let us by patient continuance in well doing, seeke for honour and glorie and immortalitie,Rom. 2.7. then shall God render unto us eternall life. Christ is the forerunner, Heb. 6.20. we must with the Apostle, Philip. 3. ver. 12. follow after, and that with all diligence and con­stant perseverance;Bern. ep. 254. for as St. Bernard saith, Quid prodest Christum sequi, si non contingat rensequi? What will it avaite us to follow after Christ, if hap­pily we overtake him not?

Though thou run never so, if thou continuest not unto death, saith he, Bravium non apprehen­dis, Bravium Christus est: thou layest not hold on the prize, the prize is Christ. Wherefore if hee running on, thou makest a stand, thou commest not nearer unto him, but setrest thy selfe further off from him. Surely the faithfull and zealous [Page 79]follower will runne and not be wearie; the righ­teous will hold on his way, saith Iob, Iob 17.9. and he that hath cleane hands shall be stronger and stronger. But you haue neede of patience, saith the Apostle, that after you haue done the will of God, you might receiue the promise: Vt perseveret is in agonè, Amb. in Heb. cap. 10. v. 36. do. nec recipiatis coronam condignam labori vestro, saith S. Ambrose, you haue neede of patience, that yee may persevere in the combat, untill yee receine a crowne meete for your labour.

Perseverance immediately beginneth to attend on grace, the mother of all vertues, when it is first infused, but is not compleate untill death, untill the infusion of finall grace, which per­fectly extinguisheth all evill concupiscence, and is the utter deletion or taking away of all sinne and sinfulnesse.

As the Crowne on the Kings head giveth an eminent splend our and luster to his royall robes, and other [...] ornaments: so the grace of per­severance is the glorious complement & crowne of all other vertues, and is an infallible guide to leade us into the kingdome of glorie. Therefore our Saviour saith not, he that shall begin, Math. 24.13. but he that shall endure unto the end shall be saved. And to the Angell in the Church of Smyrna, he saith, Be thou faithfull unto death, and I will giue thee a crowne of life. Apoc. 2. [...]0.

We are now in our spirituall course and race, we must so runne, that we may obtaine, wee are now in the combat, we must so fight that we may over come. Which that we may doe, we are to [Page 80]implore and desire by fervent and incessant pray­er, that God would prevent and follow us with grace all the dayes of our life; that so at the end of our dayes, we may confidently and comforta­bly say with the chosen vessell of mercy, I have fought a good fight, 2 Tim. 4. v. 7, 8. I haue finished my course, I haue kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse, which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day: and not unto me onely, but unto them also which loue his appearing.

CHAP. XXXIII. Of perfection in glorie.

SAint Paul the chosen vessell of mercy and trumpet of grace,Rom. 8.30. uniteth and ma­keth up the golden chaine of our sal­vation with foure linkes. First, Pre­destination: secondly, Vocation: thirdly, Iustifi­cation: fourthly, Glorification. Where hee ex­presseth not our sanctification, as being included in our glorification; according to the exposition of Aquinas, Aquin. in cp. ad Rom. cap. 8. saying, Glorificamur in hac vita per prefectune virturis & gratia: in futura per exalta­tionem gloria: We are glorified in this life by profi­ciency of vertue and grace: in the life to come, by exaltation of glory. And indeed grace is glorie in­choate or begun; glorie is grace consummate and perfected: and our imperfect perfection by grace [Page 81]here is a previous preparing and disposing of us unto that absolute perfection which wee shall haue, being cloathed and adorned with the stole of glorie. For even in this life wee are freed in part from those foure evills which are maine im­pediments to our absolute perfection: and this freedome is meerely from grace in Christ Iesus.

The first evill hindering our perfection, is er­ror in the understanding, from which we are freed in part by the Spirit of grace, leading of us into all truth, and teaching us all things necessary unto salvation.

The second evill, a let to perfection, is sinne in the will, from which wee are also partly freed by grace in Christ, and that two wayes; First,Rom. 6.14. from the dominion of it, For sinne shall not haue domi­nion over you, because yee are not under the Law, but under grace, saith the Apostle; secondly, from the condemnation of sinne, seeing,Rom. 8.1. there is no condemnation to them, which are in Christ Iesus, which walke not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The third evill hindrance of our perfection, is misery and afflictions, from which by faith and spirituall fortitude we are freed in part, that they may not swallow us up, that the flouds of great waters, the over-flowings of feare and despaire may never prevaile against us, never over whelme us. In the world you shall haue tribulation; but be of good cheare, saith Christ, I haue overcome the world.

The last evill letting our perfection, is death. And from this also we are freed in part by grace, [Page 82]not onely from spirituall and eternall death, but even from corporall in two respects: First, from the sting thereof,1 Iohn 1. v. 7. which is sinne, 1 Cor. 15.56. for by the bloud of Christ wee are cleansed from all sinne. Secondly, in regard of dominion, for death shall not tyrannize over us for ever; for in the re­surrection at the sound of the Trumpet, 1 Cor. 15.52. wee shall be raised incorruptible, and never die any more. Whereas the bodies of the unjust shall rise, but from corporall to eternall death, wherein they shall be ever dying, but never dead, which mo­ved holy Bernard to cry out,Bern. de con­sid. li. 5. ca. 12. Alas, saith he, quis det illis semel mori, ut non moriantur in aternum? who might grant them once to die, that so they might not die for ever?

Thus are we freed in part by grace from these foure evill impediments of perfection. But in the stare of glorie, we shall be wholy and entirely exempted from the in for then shall we be free from all darknesse of error, obliquitie of sinne, from all of stictive misery and destroying death. Yea, we shall be free from them after a more ex­cellent mother, than Adam was in Paradise in the state of innocency. For it pleased the omni­potent goodnesse and wisedome (who bringeth light out of darknesse, life out of death, and good out of evill) even by the fall of man to raise him up in Christ to a more eminent and high state of perfection.

It is true that Adam in his integritie had power not to erre, not to sinne, not to suffer misery, not to die: but it is also true that he had power [Page 83]to erre, to sinne, to suffer misery, to die, which by wofull experiment he brought into act, by disobeying the command of his creator. Ever since the poison and contagion of disobedience hath tainted and corrupted all the veines of his rebellious children and miserable posteritie.

Now in the state of glory in that heavenly Paradise, we shall obtaine such a transcendent degree of perfection, as that we shall haue no power in our understanding to erre, in our will to sinne, no power to suffer misery and devou­ring death.

In that ineffable glorie wee being perfectly changed into the image of the Lord, the know­ledge of all things shall be seene of us, not by parts, but wholly and at once, as St. Prosper saith.Prosp. de vita contemplat. li. 1. cap. 6. We shall see all things clearely without error, by beholding him who is all truth: Now wee see through a glasse darkly that incomprehensible light; we behold him now through a three-fold glasse; First, of the creatures, secondly, of his workes of justice and mercie, thirdly, of the ho­ly Scriptures: But then we shall see him perfect­ly, clearely, face to face, with unspeakeable joy and delight: and herein confists our essentiall, al­sufficient blessednesse, therefore Philip said unto Christ, Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth. Iohn 14.8.

Now we know God but imperfectly, enigma­tically; but then we shall know him, with a per­fect, cleare Meridian knowledge; we shall know him as we are knowne of him, and as he is known of the Angels in Heaven.

[Page 84] The man which was called by the Lord Iesus in a Vision, the man which was taken up into the third heaven, and saw things not to be uttered, hath revealed this unto us in those words,1 Cor. 13.12. Now we see through a glasse darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know, even as I and knowne. Aquin. in 2 Cor. 3.18. What is knowledge, but assimilatio cognoseentis ad cognitum, a making of the subject knowing, like to the object which is knowne. So by knowing God perfectly, we are made perfectly like unto him: and being made perfectly like un­to him, we know him perfectly. So the Virgin-Apostle and Prophet of the New Testament di­vinely argueth, saying, but wee know, that when He shall appeare, 1 Iohn 3.2. wee shall be like him: for wee shall see him as he is.

As touching perfection in the will, the estate of the Saints in heaven shall farre excell that of Adam in Paradise; for he in his innocency there, as St. Bernard notes,Bern. de gra. & lib. arb. had but an inferiour free­dome, Posse non peceare, a power not to sinne; whereas the glorified ones in heaven shall haue a superiour freedome, Non posse peccare no power to sinne. For they shall alwayes behold God, the chiefe good, the fountaine of good, who maketh all them blessed, who so behold him: and that blessednes is such as includes all sufficient good, and excludes all deficient evill from them that haue it. Seeing they are now free Denizens and glorious Citizens of that holy Ierusalem, where­of St. Gregorie saith,Greg. in sept. Psal. paen. in fine. In eam nullus ingreditur im­pius, nullus habitat iniquus, nullus intrat immun­dus, [Page 85]None that is ungodly goeth into it, none that is unjust dwelleth in it, none that is uncleane entreth into it. There is no impietie, no iniquirie, no im­puritie: no evills, no sinnes approach thither; for as St. Prosper saith, Nec peccata ibi ulla, Prosp. de vita contempl. li. 1. cap. 4. nec peccatores erunt, & qui ibi fuerint, jam peccare non poterint, There shall neither be any sinnes, nor sin­ners, and they that shall be there, shall now haue no power to sinne. For they can will nothing but that which is good, seeing they be now necessarily good, not by any iron necessitie of compulsion or coaction, for there is no such thing there; but by a golden necessitie of immutabilitie, which ne­ver altereth, never changeth. Such shall be the ineffable felicitie of the glorified Saints in hea­ven, being now blessed with Angelicall perfecti­on, being made like unto the Angels in heaven.

God is righteous, and therefore blessed, wee are now unrighteous, and therefore miserable: but then being conformed to the image of God, we shall be righteous, and therefore blessed, and consequently free from all miserie, both in soule and bodie. For whereas Adam had in this also,Bern. de Gra. & lib. Arb. an inferiour freedome, Posse non turbari, a power not to be troubled; We shall then haue, as St. Ber­nard noteth, a superiour freedome, a non posse tur­bari, no power to be troubled, to suffer any afflictiue misery whatsoever. Our soules shall be free from any distemper, passion, and perturbation.Aquin. in 1 Cor. cap. 15. lect. 6. Our bodies shall be qualified with foure endowments like to the Sunne. First, claritie, secondly, agili­tie, thirdly, subtilitie, fourthly, impassibilitie. [Page 86]But what did I say, like to the Sunne? nay, rather like to the sonne of God, for we shall be like him in corporis gloria, Ambr. in ca. 6. ad Roman. non in divinitatis natura, in the glory of his bodie, not in the nature of his divinitie, saith St. Ambrose. For in the resurrection He will change us in a moment: then as the Apostle teacheth us,Phil. 3.21. He shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body. So that we shall be free from all misery, as he is free in his bodie. Our senses and other faculties shall not be subject to any offence or hurt. Our bodies shall no more be exposed to wounds, maimes, de­fects, no distemper or paine, no disease or infir­mitie shall annoy them. All tarditie and slownes of the mooving facultie shall be taken away, for the bodie being now spirituall, shall goe without any delay,Prosp. de vita contemp. lib. 1. cap. 11. hindrance, or difficultie, Quecun (que) ire voluerit Spiritus angelicae beatitudinis aqualitate perfectus, whither soever the Spirit will goe, being perfect in equalitie, with Angelicall blessednesse, as St. Prosper saith.

Thus where the cause is taken away, the effect must needs cease: the evill of punishment shall al­wayes be absent, where the evill of sinne is never present. For how is it possible that any miserie should be there, where there is perfect charitie without dissimulation or hatred, perfect peace without dissension or discord, perfect health without languor or infirmitie: where there is no­thing but eternall happinesse and everlasting feli­citie.

And the reason of all this is given by St. Iohn, [Page 87]saying, for the Lambe, Revel. 7.17. which is in the midst of the throne, shall feede them, and leade them unto living fountaines of waters: and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes.

CHAP. XXXIIII. Of perfection by immortalitie in glorie.

THe first act of our essence is life, with­out which, wee haue no motion or sense, no understanding, willing, or working. Hereupon blessednesse, which consisteth in act, is properly ascribed to life, and to that life which is eternall and immor­tall. Many of the old Philosophers held immor­talitie of the soule, but not of the bodie, that was an idle fancie, grosse, and absurd with them. But we know by the Christian veritie, and stead­fastly beleeue, that our bodies in the resurrection shall rise incorruptible, and liue ever. For although the bodies of reprobates shall me againe and liue ever, Quead substantiam vivendi, in respect of the substance of life, yet quoad qualitatem vivendi, in regard of the qualitie of life, they being in perpe­tuall horror and torments, are rightly said to pe­rish and die eternally.Aug. [...] cap. 92. Seeing as St. Augustine saith, Vera vita non est, nisi ubi faliciter vivitur, It is not true life, but where there is an happie life.

Neither may it seeme strange that a body glo­rified should be immortall, seeing the body of [Page 88] Adam in the state of innocency in that earthly Paradise was immortall. For as St. Augustine affirmeth, that the body of Adam before sinne, was both mortall and immortall;Aug. in Gen. ad lit. lib. 6. cap. 25. mortall, quia poterat mori, because it had a power to die, and im­mortall, quia poter at non mori, because it had a pow­er not to die.

Adam no doubt had temperamentum absolutè temperatissimum, a temperament absolutely most temperate, such as none but he and the Second A­dam are supposed to haue: yet that was not suffi­cient to immortalitie. And therefore by Gods gracious indulgence he might freely feede on the tree of life; by meanes whereof he might be pre­served from decaying by age or any other cause, and that through some naturall vertue in the tree, or rather Gods blessing, or both. And thus A­dam was mortall,Aug. ubi su­prd. conditione corporis animalis, by the condition of a naturall body, but immortall, beneficie conditoris, by the benefit of his creator, as St. Augustine excellently explaineth it. If so be that Adam had not sinned, yet fuisset mortalis, he should haue beene mortall; neverthelesse, if he had not sinned,Valles. sacra. Philos. c. 6. fuisset nunquam moriturus, he should ne­ver haue died, as Vallesius aptly noteth. So then no sinne,Rom. 5.12. no death; By one man sinne entred into the world, and death by sinne. Contrary to the heresie of Pelagius and Augustinus Steuchus, a Pontifician of later times.Whitak. de not. eccl. ca. 7.

If Adam then had not sinned, he had not died, but should haue beene immortall, Immortalitate­minori, in qua posset mori, Aug. Ench. cap. 105. with a lesser immortali­tie, [Page 89]wherein he had a power to die, saith S^t Augustine-Quamvis major futura sit, in qua non possit mori, al­though a greater immortalitie be to come, wherein he cannot die. And this must be in Heaven, in the state of glory, where is no disobedience or sinne, and consequently, no death; Rom. 6.23. for as the Apostle saith, the wages of sinne is death.

Christ Iesus is our life, Col. 3.4. both here in the king­dome of grace, and there in the kingdome of glo­rie. For He as head and fountaine of life, com­municateth life to all the members of his mysti­call body; He being the last Adam, who was made a quickening Spirit, 1 Cor. 15.45. enlivening us not onely with naturall, sensitiue, and rationall life, as our Creator, but also with spirituall life, as our Re­deemer, and eternall life, as our Glorifier.

Augustus the Emperour in Romani nominis ae­ternitatem natus, borne to eternize the Roman name, Onuph. de im­perat. Com. cap. 4. according to Onnphrius, was wont many times as Suetonius writes in his life, to pray for [...],Sueton. in vi­ta Augusti. cap. 99. for his friends and himselfe, not immortalitie, but aneasie death without paine. But our blessed Savi­our did not onely pray for, but doth also giue un­to his friends, his my sticall members, [...], immortalitie: for speaking of them, his Sheepe, Iohn. 10.28. he saith, I giue unto them eternall life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man plucke them out of my hands.

Our life consists in the knowledge and loue of Christ, saith Aquinas: we know Him, Aquin. in Co­lost. cap. 3. lect. 1. and loue Him in this world in part, and it is our spirituall life; we shall know him and loue him in the other world per­fectly, [Page 90]and that will be eternall life. As the first A­dam brought death into the world, so the second Adam abolishing death, 2 Tim. 1.10. hath brought life and im­mortalitie to light. Aug. in Ioan. tract. 22. Who according to St. Augu­stine, speaketh on this wise to thee, Wouldst thou not erre? I am the way. Wouldst thou not be decei­ved? I am the truth. Wouldst thou not die? I am the life. Iohn 14.6. I am the way, the truth, and the life. So may I say unto thee, Wouldst thou not haue thy body perpetually detained under the power of dark­nesse and dominion of the graue:Iohn 11.25. Loe, He saith, I am the resurrection and the life. Beleeue on me, let me be thy spirituall foode, feede on me by faith; for He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my bloud, bath eternall life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

If Christ dwell in us now by faith spiritually,Ephel. 3.17. he will surely dwell in us hereafter by glory e­ternally: and that after an admirable manner, which now we know not;1 Iohn 3.2. For now we are sonnes of God, saith St. Iohn, but it doth not yet appeare what we shall be. It is not here revealed unto us, we are unworthy to know it, we are unable to comprehend it. Onely thus much we are taught out of the divine Oracles, that in the stole of glo­rie, we shall see God clearely, face to face, wee shall with unspeakeable joy and delight ever be­hold Him, who is the blessed life of man, saith St. Augustine; Aug de civit. Dei. lib. 19. cap. 26. whom to behold is life, and the life is eternall.

CHAP. XXXV. Of different perfection in glorie.

SPirituall gifts and graces are diversly dispensed by Christ, and given to the Saints on earth after a different man­ner: For to every one is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Ephes. 4.7. Thus much the Apostle instancing in some particular graces, insinuateth touching faith, the prime car­dinall vertue, he saith,Rom. 12.3, 6. God dealeth to every man the measure of faith: and a proportion of faith: and entreating of chastitie and continency, he said, Every man hath his proper gift of God, 1 Cor. 7.7. one after this manner and another after that. When as the Apostles said to our Saviour, if the case was such, it was not good to marry; He answered them, all men cannot receiue this saying, Math. 19.11. Ambr. de voc. gent. li. 2. c. 3. saue they to whom it is given. Hereupon St. Ambrose saith, Multis modis & innumer abilibus differentijs, gratia opera & dona variantur; in (que) ipsis singulis generibus mu­neruns dissimiles sunt gradus & impares quantita­tes: The gifts and workes of grace are varied after many manners and innumerable differences: and in the severall kindes of gifts, there be unlike de­grees and unequall quantities. Now as there are many different degrees of grace in the militant Church: so there be also many different degrees of glorie in the triumphant Church,Ambr. de bon. mort. cap. 11. according to that of St. Ambrose, Erit or do diversus clarita­tis [Page 92]& gloria, sicut erit meritorum: There shall be a different order of excellency and glory, as there shall be of merits. Hence it was that St. Augustine upon those words of Christ, Aug. in Ioan. cap. 14. v. 2. in my Fathers house are many mansions, saith, they are diversae meritorum in una vita aterna dignitates; diverse dignities of merits in one eternall life. And St. Hierome saith, Multae sunt mansiones apud patrem, Hieren. ad­vers. Pelag. li. 1. quia & merita diversa; there are many mansions with the Father, because there are diverse merits.

Here note by the way that St. Ambrose, St. Au­gustine, St. Hierome, and other of the ancient Fa­thers, by merits so frequētly mentioned by them, understand good workes done of faith, as we doe generally take them; So as Bucer professed in the conference at Ratisbon, Bucer. apud Cassand. Cou­fut. art. 6. saying, If by to merit, the Fathers and others understand, to doe through faith of the grace of God good workes, to which God hath promised and will render a reward. To use the word in this sense, wee will not condemne. Wherein we wholly agree with St. Bernard, who explaineth the matter thus:Bern. de Gra. & lib. Arb. Those which wee call our merits, if they be properly called, are certaine se­minaries of hope, incentiues to charitie, signes of se­cret predestination, presages of future felicitie, the way to the kingdome, not the cause of raigning there.

Now correspondent to our good workes in this life shall our eternall reward be in the other life:Math. 16.27. For the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels: and then shall he reward every man according to his workes. This our bles­sed [Page 93]Saviour, the truth, hath taught us; and after him his chosen vessell of mercy and trumpet of grace, hath delivered unto us the same infallible veritie, namely,Rom. 2.6. that God will render to every man according to his deeds. So that such as our measure of grace is in this life, such shall our measure of glory be in the other world: such as our vertues and good workes be here, such shall our happi­nesse and felicitie be there. Let us then, not be weary of well doing, knowing that in due sea­son we shall reape, if we faint not. All that shall be judged worthy in Christ to enter into the hea­venly Paradise, shall haue perfection of all parts and essentialls of glory, aquè, non aequaliper, one as well as another, not equally in degree one with wea­ther. All who haue faithfully laboured in Christ, Vineyard, shall at the end of the day receiue their penie, aqualem mercedem, vita, non gla [...]ia, Ambr. in Lus. cap. 15. an e­quall reward of life, not of glory, according to St. Ambrose: for suppose, faith he, there is not grace, one reward, diversum tan [...]n bra [...]iu [...] violeri [...] est, yet the prize of victory is diverse.

It is true that in respect of the object participa­ted, one is not more blessed than another; all be­holding one God the fountaine of life. But in re­gard of the disposition of the subjects participa­ting, one shall be more happie than another, be­cause one shall see God more clearely than ano­ther, one shall loue God more perfectly and ar­dently than another, and that in so large and am­ple latitude, as we are not now able to compre­hend.

[Page 94] The Apostleteacheth us,1 Cor. 15. ve. 41, 42. that there is one glory of the Sonne, another of the Moone, and another of the [...]ines for one starre differeth from another starre in glory. So is the resurrection of the dead.

They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the fir [...] at:Dam. 12.3.and they that turne many unto righ­tenasnesse, as the starres for ever and ever.

Now although every starre be perfect in it selfe, yet in comparison of a greater it may want per­fection,Hieron. ad­vers. Pelag. lib. 1. as St. Hierome notes: So although every glorified Saint shall be perfect in it selfe, yet may such compared to others more glorious want perfection, not of parts or essentialls, but of de­grere of glorie: But all shall be perfect, all accor­ding to their proper measure and capacitie, shall b [...]fully f [...]led with glorie, none shall want, all [...] enough,Prosp. de vita [...]. 1. cap. 4. all shall haue sufficient, Quia singulie prampia suasufficientia erunt, & capere am­pl [...] [...] am perfecti non p [...]terint. Every [...] shall be sufficient for them, and being [...] perfect, they shall not be able to receiue any more, saith St. Prosper.

As many vessels of diverse quantities dipt into the Ocean will all be filled, but every one accor­ding to their proper quantitie. Or as divers guests at a feast are fully satiated and filled, yet all doe not eat alike, and receiue the same quantitie, but every one according to the strength and measure of their stomacke: So shall it be with the Elect in the kingdome of God, in the day of the Sonne of man, that day of glorie: all shall haue satietie of heavenly delights and pleasures, but every one [Page 95]according to their capacitie and measure. During their pilgrimage on earth, they walked on pati­ently in the way of good workes; they hungred and thirsted after righteousnesse; but then shall they be satisfied with life, righteousnesse and glo­ry. How [...] redeemed them with his sacred bloud, will now satiate them with the bread of life, and inebriate them with the wine of his loue. And as the sweet singer of Israel speaketh,Psal. 36.8, 9. He will abun­dantly satisfie them with the fatnesse of his house: and will make them drinke of the [...]er of his plea­sures: for with him is the fountaine of life, and in his light shall they see light. They shall see the light which shall never decay, enjoy the life which shall never haue an end. For they shall ever be­hold Him, who is the light and the life, who is all perfection, all glory, all felicitie, all eternitie, who is all in all.

To that all sufficient being, who is his owne eter­nall being, and the being of all other [...], who is Alpha and O [...]ega, the beginning and the en­ding, the first and the last; To the Creator of the world, the glory of the Angels, the light and life of men; To that infinite fountaine of loue, which hath loved us with an ever lasting loue in Christ the sonne of his loue; To the Father of mercies, the God of all grace, peace and consolation, be ascribed of us all goodnesse, wisedome, power, prayse, honour, glorie, adoration, thankesgiving, for all his blessings in Ie­sus Christ, now and in all ages for ever, Amen.