CHAP. I.

[Page 3] Calling, either by name, or vn­to office. PAVL an Apostle.) Hee describeth himselfe by his calling. And as the worde (calling) doth sig­nifie either the name that a man is known & called by, or the state he is pre­ferred & called vnto: so S. Paul expresseth both, 1. his name (Paul) &, 2. the state of his office withal (to be an Apostle.)

Calling by name.1 Touching his name, it is too light a labor much to sticke at names: when wee haue caught such smal fish, we but cast thē into the sea againe. And it hath euer beene thought a vaine curiosity, so Iudg. 13.18. carefully to make enquiry for the messengers name and titles, when the message is most cer­taine. Wherefore for this matter that rule is best & may suffice; that where the writers of ho­ly writ and Scriptures are knowen, that there God vseth such so specified by name, as certaine instrumentes to declare his will, voutsafeing to shewe the children of men with what quill and penne himselfe would write.

Againe, when the writer of Scripture is lesse knowne, know wee; that, wee are to esteeme no lesse of those diuine Scriptures, than of the rest, euen so farre foorth as if they came immediately from himselfe without our knoweledge of any certaine humane meanes in the penning.

2 After his name, followeth the calling of [Page 4] his office. Calling vnto office, or state. (Paul an Apostle) Calling to any fune­tion is either in earthly thinges or in heauenly matters. And in heauenly things calling is either generall to be Rom. 1.7. 1 Cor. 1 2. Saintes, sanctified and washed in the blood of the Lambe, or els Rom. 11. 1 Cor. 1.1. speciall to be a teacher and a minister in the Church of God & house of Saintes. And this calling is either or­dinary and appointed orderly by imposition of handes according to the right touch of conscience in the called, and the good choise of the caller: or els calling is extraordinarie whensoeuer, and of whomsoeuer it pleaseth God immediatly by him­selfe to call vnto, and enable for the worke of his spirituall haruest. Such a calling was Pauls by a voice from heauen at noone, whereof himselfe speaketh: Acts. 26.9. I was not disobedient to the hea­uenly vision, (and voice.)

Thus was he ordained to his office, and (as he here addeth) neither by men (called) neither by men (instituted) but extraordinarily in heauenly thinges a Numb. 10.2. consecrated trumpet put Rom. 1.1. a-part to preach the Gospel euen from heauen, and by God himselfe. Called not of men, nor by man, but by Iesus Christ and God the Father which rai­sed him from the dead.

Both natures in our Sauiour.By the way you will obiect, that if Paul were called by Christ, and therefore not by man, then belike Christ was not man. I answere: these wordes deny not our sauiours humanity, though they rather proue his Deity and Godhead. For if [Page 5] ye marke, in the same tenor of speech they couple him equally with God, and expressely they term God his Father; and, such as is the Father, such in substance is the Son. And because the Father is God, therefore by consequent necessarily ensu­ing, the Son also is very God. And yet, marke withall, his Father here is said to raise him from the dead. Which must needs be spoken of Christs humanity. For the Deity neither dieth, nor re­uiueth; neither falleth, nor riseth, nor is raysed againe. Wherefore Paul was called by him, that is not denied to be man, but by the 1 Tim. 2.5. man Christ who was both very God and perfect man, and so a fit mediator betweene God and man.

And nowe being thus called, in the second, third, fourth, and fifth verses, he sendeth gree­ting: wherein would be considered, 1. The sen­der, 2. The persons to whom he writeth, 3. His entry with an holy salutation.

1 He that sendeth chiefly is Paul (of whom in part hath beene, and in part hereafter shalbe declared) then they with Paul, who sent their greeting, are annexed: Al the brethren who were with Paul. My note is, that whereas flesh and blood is of a corrupt nature, ful of wrath, pride and swelling, whereas euery man deemeth his lead to be siluer, & his glasse diamond, where­as some can brooke no superiour, some no equal, Paul was altogether of a contrary minde, of an humble, meeke and lowly spirit. And albeit his [Page 6] giftes were moe than were al the giftes of many, his labours incomparable, and his calling Apo­stolical, yet hee calleth euery of them that were with him brethren, and conioyneth them with himselfe in his owne Epistle. A charitable consent in Chri­stians most forceable to persuade in ca­ses of Christia­nitie. And this was then, and wilbe euer, as it were, a twisted cord of grea­test strēgth the better able to draw men to christ, when Christians drawe all one way, and driue a­gainst sinne, and lift all with one shoulder to fur­ther the trueth, and altogether liue in charitable manner like brethren one with an other.

Paul and all the brethren. He excepteth none that includeth all, and he accepteth of all that ex­cludeth none.

The persons to whom the Epi­stle is directed.2 To the Churches of Galatia. The The name of the Church ta­ken diuersly. name of the church is diuersly takē, either for the whole Church catholicke in times, persons and places, or for the parces of the whole professing in earth the Catholicke faith. And therein as euery part of the sea is called the sea: as the English, the Spanish, and the French Sea, is termed the Sea: euen so euerie part of the whole Church professing the trueth may and doth well receaue the name of the Church, as the Church of Eng­land is the Church, and the Church of Scotland the Church, &c. And, because in Galatia their congregations were copious, they are plurallie termed the Churches.

Whole churches may be seduced.And herein it were not amisse to be noted, that not only some smal church truly so called, though [Page 7] in some pointes vnperfect, but many Churches may tread awry, whole populous Churches may be seduced. Psal. 116.11. For truely, men whether sole & single, or assembled and making a Church or churches, are but men, and therefore prone to sinne, and soone deceaued: and as the moone doth often ec­clypse, so Churches may sometimes erre.

Men cannot his stil the white, shal they not therefore aime at the marke?And yet an other good obseruation it is, that if any man therefore will needes be wilfull, & vn­willing to contend to perfection because all men necessarily haue imperfections, verily that man is vnwise, and wanteth grace, and can be no child of the Church of God, which is an house of such men as inuocate and call vpon the holy name of God. 2 Tim. 2.19. And whosoeuer so doth, of duty must euer­more more and more depart as far as he possible­ly may from all iniquitie. And to this end both euery where Paul preacheth, and here writeth and wisheth as followeth.

The greeting.3 Grace and Peace.) Grace is Gods fa­uour: peace signifieth gods blessing in Gen. 43.23. a prospe­rous estate. Grace goeth before, and Peace fol­loweth after, and both proceede by the meanes of Christ our Sauiour.

Rhemish, Test. Pag. 384.Wherein I cannot omit a Rhemish and a peeuish note, that misliketh the vsage of this sa­lutation, appropriating it to the Apostles with­out all reason, and foolishly inferring that be­cause Heretickes, and namely Manicheus, haue vsed it, therefore we maie not vse it.

[Page 8] The salutati­ons were vsed of the Apostles may be vsed by others.I pray you, why did Paul request that mu­tuall prayers bee made for him, if others might not praie for him, as hee did for them? And why may not al pray, especially for Grace and Peace? Or may I not wish them to my selfe? Or if to my selfe, why not to my Rom. 13.9. neighbour? Or where­in lieth the lette? May I not wish a man Gods grace? Or may I not pray for the peace of men? Or may I pray at all, and can I praie almost for anie thing, and not for these thinges, and with these wordes?

For the other point that Manicheus did vse it, Epiphanius haeres. 66. I finde hee did. And what of that? The best things either in hypocrisie may be pretended (for hypocrites pretend not the worst) or else the best thinges to purposes may bee abused. And what then? The Pharisie abuseth his long praiers: the tempter abused the holie Scriptures: the Corin­thians abused the Sacraments, Baptisme, and the Supper; and Manicheus abused this good salutation, which yet is not the thing is so found fault with in him. But hee tooke vpon him to be an Apostle as the woorde is most preeiselie and properly taken: which his fault was reproued, as appeareth in Austine. Tom. 6. contra Epist. Funda. c. 5. & 6. And which title because the Pope being also a Bishop doth claim, he most resembleth Manicheus.

The abuse of things aboli­sheth not their good vsage.But to the matter, whether he vsed or abused this salutation, it skilleth litle: for our partes, we are not disposed to mislike the innocent sheepes [Page 9] fel, because the rauening woolfe hath sometime put it on: wee are not so fonde as to refuse the Arke of God, 1. Sam. 8 because the Philistines had once got it into their hands: we cannot, neither will wee (God willing) refuse the vsage of our godly greetings, because your coyishnesse would bar vs thereof, and appropriate good words at your fan­tastical pleasure. As wel you may, for ought I knowe, interdict men of well dooing, as of wish­ing wel vnto their neighbours and brethren.

And farther if you imagine (as it may seeme you doe) that there is some operatiue and work­ing benediction in those wordes: beside that the euent hath prooued the contrarie (for what is now become of that graceles & vnhappy Church of Galatia:) the verie words following confute that your folly most sufficiētly. For Paul wisheth Grace and Peace not as enclosed in his wordes, and interlaced in his lines, or fixed to his letters, but to bee giuen by God and by Christ which gaue himselfe &c.

In which fourth and fifth verses are to bee learned these three conuenient obseruations, as they lie. 1. The end why Christ gaue himselfe, to deliuer vs out of this present world. 2. The enducement thereunto, according to his good wil. 3. Our duty therefore in giuing him glorie and deserued prayse for euer.

The end of our deliuerie by Christ.1 Deliuerie presupposeth captiuity, and the greater the enemie, the dearer the ransom, and the [Page 10] ioifuller the deliuerance. The enemie here named is the world, the ransome Christ, we are the deli­uered. The enimie mightie, the ransom pretious: and therefore our deliuery most ioyful. But hee that is in hel thinketh many times there is no o­ther heauen. So faire a glose can the world set v­pon the matter, and so forcibly can it woork. Gen. 29. In the booke of Genesis Laban made promise to Iacob that he should haue to wife for his faithfull seruice fair Rachel, & Iacob in hope thereof indu­reth al toile and pains. But when the time of his couenant was expired, Laban in the night sub­stituteth Lea in steed of Rachel: Euen so O guil­ful worlde, how sweet, how pleasant are thy pro­mises, but the things thou yeeldest in the end how bitter, how ful of gall are they? Thou promisest bewtiful Rachel, but thou performest squinteyd Lea. He which seeth thy vanitie, and discerneth thy wilinesse, would hee be deceaued, or ought he not of all thinges most to desire his deliueraunce from thy thral:

The world a transitorie and a wicked world.Our Apostle describeth this world worthilie in two woords, terming it the present wicked world. The wickednesse of the world may seeme delight-some, yet such delightes endure not long. They are but a basket ful of sommer fruit, a Io­nas his gourd, they spring in the night, and fade the next day. That which is past, is as if it neuer were: that which is to come, is vtterly vncertain: and that which is present, is but a glimse for a [Page 11] moment, a morning dew and gone againe.

Notwithstanding were the world only a fickle and a transitorie vncertainty, the benefite of our deliuery were the lesse. Glasse is a brickle metal, and yet a cleane. The world is not only vnstable and fading, euen the verie fashion thereof, but it is (as Saint Iohn speaketh) altogither set on wickednesse, Our deliuerance from the world▪ doth not driue men to shorten their time in the world. and therefore Christ gaue himselfe for our sinnes, that he might deliuer vs out of this present euill worlde. I say not: neither sai­eth Christ, from not being at al in this world, but from liuing after the fashion of the world: For it is written: Thou shalt not kil, that is, thou vpon a feare or fancy thou shalt not dispatch, as not an other, so not Aug. de ciui. Dei li. 2. cap. 20 thy selfe out of the woorld: Thou shalt not dig thine owne graue and enter into it before thy time, no, Thou shalt not hang thine owne winding sheete before thine eies, thou shalt not be cause or occasion of thine owne death.

Iob.When holy Iob cursed the daie of his birth it was but a pang of imperfection. Act. 16.28. In the Actes, when the prisoner woulde haue killed himselfe, Paul crieth out that he should do himself no harm, as if to kil were to hurt himselfe. Then if to kill were to doe harme, verily to liue cannot be harm. And were it absolutely vnlawful to liue, or lawe­ful to liue or not to liue when mans lust were, and with 2 Machab. 14. Rasis to leaue the station wherein God hath placed vs, there could haue beene no doubt, Philip. 1.23. or no great doubt in Pauls choise to the Philip­pians [Page 12] where he casteth with himselfe whether it were better to choose life or rather death for the desire he had to be dissolued, and to be with christ. Yet in fine he resolueth for considerations that it were better the course of his race to be continued. And then why chose he life, if to liue were vtterly il, and simply naught, as some in their impatien­cie imagine?

Ioh. 17.15.In Saint Iohn our Sauiour prayeth for his, not that they be taken out of the world, but that they may bee preserued from euil. For the crea­tures in the woorld, and the woorlde, and our life therein though euil and tedious, are not in fault. The faultes of the woorld must bee shunned, and from them wee are deliuered: namely from the guilt of sinne, thorough Christ: 1 Ioh. 1. and by his spirite from the degrees of sinning wilfully, lustfully, or finally to death. But, which is my second note, who is hee, or what is it hath deliuered vs? the grace of God through Iesus Christ. And why?

The induce­ment why God vouchsaued our deliuerance.The causes of gods doings must not be sought for else-where then in God himselfe. His grace, his fauour, his mercy, his fatherly goodnesse, his pleasure, purpose, wil and good wil, are the onely things specified in Scripture, as agent causes of sending so great saluation to the sonnes of men.

Our Apostle Paul euerie where intentiuelie looking into the state of our redemption, when he feeth the father satisfied, the Son sacrificed, man saued from sin, and deliuered from the world, he [Page 13] hath alwaies recourse onely to the goodnesse of God, who is most free in willing, inflexible in do­ing, repentant in neither, and in both without all compartner. For who hath or can be his associate or Counseller, Rom. 11.34. to induce him this way that is vn­chāgeable in al his waies, especially in the myste­rie of godlines, in the incarnation of our Sauior, & in the giuing of his Son? So that neither be­yond, nor on this side his wil Paul neither saieth nor seeth any thing, neither finde I ought that may be compared.

Our duety in regard of our deliuerie.3 Teach a foole this doctrine of his deliue­rance, and he cannot tel what it meaneth: wash a raw bricke and it turneth to mire: that is, tell a wilful sinner that he hath so gracious a god, such a through sauiour, straitway saith he, Grace shal saue, and Christ shal deliuer: I wil liue at plea­sure and surfet euery howre, the rather because my Physicion is skilful, and able, and willing to help. God blesse euerie good soul from presump­teous sinnes. Pauls example is cleare to the con­trarie, and in the meditation of the goodwil of God and great work of Christ as somewhere he gathereth vnspeakable comfort Rom. 8. (If God be with vs, who can be against vs?) so here hee rendred dew thankes for so peerlesse and endlesse fauour.

And great reason: you reade when Isaake was borne, and Gen. 21.8. weaned, great feasts were kept. But (brethren) when a man is regenerated and borne anew in Christ, and made the Son of God, when [Page 14] he is weaned from the world, greater reason in­comparably greater that we keep an 1 Cor. 1.8. holy feast, a feast vnto the Lord, to whom Paul saieth bee praise for euer and euer Amen. Wherein would be Continuance in thankefulnes is thankes wor­thy. noted not onely Pauls praising God, but his vehemency & continuance: for euer and for euer.

Feast-makers bring in the woorst wine Iohan. 21.10. last, & the best first: so many continue not in the course of like thankfulnes as at the beginning, litle con­sidering that God is to bee praised for euermore, without intermission of cōuenient time. 2. Relax­ation of euerlasting duty. 3. Exception of seasons as excluding his praises which are most due at a­nie time and for euer and for euer, Amen.

Two kinde of persons are noted in these ver­ses, viz. the seduced, and the seducers. 1. Hee maruaileth at the one sort, 2. & defieth the other.

1 I maruel.) Wherein he first setteth down [Page 15] the lightnes of the men, The reprehensiō of the persons seduced. that so suddenly were be­guiled; & then the weight of their transgression, that were caried quite into an other Gospel from the grace of Christ whereunto a litle before they were called, by Gods mercy, & Pauls ministery.

Inconstancie & lightnesse.A wise man is no waue, no shouting starre, no starting bow. A discreet christian goeth discreet­ly to worke, he trieth the spirits, proueth all, and after dew triall approueth the best.

True; in chaunging from the better to the worse; whether to day, or to morowe, sooner or later, all is a matter in effect: but to flit in a mo­ment, to change with the weather, as the wea­ther-cocke, is small wisdome and great shame.

Whether a man bee cast away at his entring the sea, or make wrecke in the maine Ocean, I grant it skilleth litle, yet the one much more ar­gueth the vnskilfulnesse or the wilfulnesse of the Pylot than the other.

Constancie & perseuerance.An old Disciple as Mnason in the Acts. 21.16. Acts, an auncient professor, a constant christian, are good titles. A fugitiue head, a foolish virgin, a deceaued doue, a seduced Galathian are spoken in great re­proch. S. Paul wondreth at such their incon­stancie. And yet obserue withal the Apostles le­nitie, and great discretion. He shaketh not sea and sand togither. He knew ful well where the spring of their folly began. The Galathians were deep­ly plunged in the sea, the fault was most in the mariners. The young childe was bitte with the [Page 16] dogge: with whome is the mother angry most? With the child, or with the snarling curre? Like­wise the seduced Philippians Paul calleth bre­thren, the seducers he termeth dogs. Phil. 3. Beware of concision, beware of dogs.

And yet in our text here, because no man must bee foded vp in his folly, as if it were no fault, foolishly to follow him that goeth wilfully before and leadeth after into error, he both marueleth at their sudden recoiling, and likewise also expres­seth the greeuousnesse of their error, in falling, euen cleane from the Gospell to the Law, from Christ to Moses admixt with Christ.

And this was more than strange, and set the Apostle all in a maze to see and consider their so haynous a trespasse. For, thinke you, was it possible, a ground to receaue seede so willingly, as did the Galathians, to grow vp greene so fair­ly, and so suddenly without cause to bee blasted, and come to nothing?

A man may let a thing out of his hande in de­siring to compre­hend more, when his hande had as much as it could holde be­fore, though hee thinke not so.But did the Galatians quite renounce christ? Did they cast away his grace? Were they trans­ported into an other Gospell? Verily Paul char­geth them with no lesse. Yet happily, they might imagine (wherein their error, being so well en­structed of Paul before, was the grosser) that the addition & putting of the Law vnto the Gospel, & that the coupling of Moses with Christ had not bin the abiecting and the casting-away of Christ. For the coupling of two things togither, doth not [Page 17] seeme to be a throwing away of the one, but a con­ioyning of them both, and a casting away of nei­ther. And so in this fancy were they remooued in­to an other Gospell, which yet in it selfe was and is syncere, intyre, inuiolable, and is no other and could not be bleuded with legal rites, or ad­mit the least admixture at all. For Christ wilbe Christ alone 1 Cor. 1.13. vndiuided, and only preached in the Gospell, or no Christ at all, and these forsooth were perswaded hee might bee inuested with Moses, with ceremonies, with circumcision.

Faire pretenses verily, but (brethren) there is no diuel to the white diuell: there is no leprosie so daungerous as the fairest, as is the whitest. Leuitie and in­constancy. But yet thus to reele too and fro, to be allured so hastily like a childe, wonne with an Apple, and that from the syncerity of the Gospell vnder what pretenses soeuer, from the grace of God, from the merites of Christ Iesu, was a most hei­nous fault, and almost inexpiable, and therefore Paul wisely and worthily reprehended it in these vnwise Galathians, that would gadde and runne after euery false Apostle, that would but holde vp his finger.

The reproofe of the seducers.2 These are reproued, as they well deser­ued, for corrupt minded men, purposely set, eger­ly bent, and fully [...] intending to tourmoile the Church and peruert the Gospell of Christ. To sower his dowe and to soder his goulde, to trou­ble his trueth and the cleare water of their Chri­stian [Page 18] profession they were entred into by Pauls teaching, and their Baptisme.

Therefore Paul is earnest, & because the my­sterie of the false Apostles endeuours had not al­together peruerted them, yet hee forewarneth what in part they had doone, and what in fine their sleights would effect, euen in precise terms a full diuorst betwixt Christ and them. And therefore he foretelleth the imminent daunger to the seduced, and bouldly denounceth a Ʋae and woe to the seducers.

And whereas not only the name of Moses, but of Peter, Iames and Iohn also were pretended, and therein for that it might bee thought a pri­uate matter of enuy to name any of these, wisely and figuratiuely, 1. Cor. 4.6. as vnder the persons of Apollo and of himselfe vpon like cause he dealeth with the Corinthians: so here hee putteth a case, and maketh a supposall, and thereupon auerreth, that if, not man who euer, but if a very celestiall spirit, and an Angel from heauen should play the pranckes these men had doone in melling toge­ther things of intempered natures, namely the Gospell with the Lawe, they should defie him, and in defiance say, Christs curse come to him.

The Gospel.The preaching of the Gospel was so carefully regarded of Paul, so certainely receiued of the Galathians, so glorious in it selfe, so respected of God, that neither the Lawe of Moses, nor the names of men, nor the Doctrine of Angels were [Page 19] to be compared, much lesse preferred. Yet lest in caring neither for high, nor lowe the Apostle might be deemed to haue ouer-shotte himselfe in choler of minde, and heate of wordes, distinctly and aduisedly he repeateth them once again, and farther manifestly to shew that hee doth what hee doth, and speaketh what hee speaketh vpon due considerations and firme grounds, he laieth open his hart and meaning more at large.

The sense is not obscure. What doe I (saith Paul,) perswade I man, or God? Doe I curry fa­uour with the world? Or pretend I mens names in Gods matters? Seeke I to please mens fan­sies? Or feare I their faces? Serue I two so contrary masters? I cannot. I doe not. You may ghesse who iugled in this case with both. For the Apostle seemeth to point at, or rather to paint out some. In this speech, I marke two thinges. The hard lot of the preacher, but yet his ne­cessarie duetie manie times to displease. 1. The great frowardenesse of man. 2. The strict or hard condicion of the man of god, to serue him alone, and in seruing him to dis­please man.

Mans wisedome must not be controled, or his will thwarted, corruption will not be salted, but we are the salt of the earth, and the seruantes of God. Saint Paul could not glauer, we must not [Page 20] flatter. If we doe as he did, we doe as we should. If otherwise, wee serue not God, but men, and men, and not God must pay vs our wages.

But were wee the suger of the earth, and ser­uantes of men to feede their fancies and to speak to their humors, how would men admire vs and our doctrine, flocke to our sermons and frequent our lectures? But because we are Mat. 5.13. salt, and salt is sharp, because our endeuour is to profit you, and to please God whom wee serue, and not your it­ching eares, our persons are the lesse esteemed, and our teachings refused.

But to the text. Now, when Saint Paul had shewed his encent, and vttered his meaning, and declared how he stood vpon his necessarie duetie, due to Christ and in Christ alone, hee putteth it downe plainly whence he receiued this doctrine, and how and wherevpon grew this his so weigh­ty a charge.

Saint Paul goeth not to woork at auentures, hee standet [...] [...]ot vpon vncertainties, hee neither bought not stole the letters of his orders, hee was not as Iere. 28.15. Hannany that ran before hee was sent, neither was his doctrine as Num. 3.4. strange fier. For he [Page 21] taught them that which himselfe was taught e­uen by Christ. In somuch that if others were im­mediatly called to the Apostle ship, so was Paul, and that by no means of men as wel as any. But hereof before.

Paul enlargeth the former matter of the vn­likelihood of his learning any thing by man, most euidentlie by the tenour and race of his former life.

His whole conuersation, & continual practise, his earnest zeale was quite a contrarie way, and might he haue had his own foorth, when he caried other manner of letters to Damascus, Acts. 9.3. than are these he now writeth to Galatia, hee would haue made a quick dispatch of Christian profession.

Yet no doubt many an olde heade might & did get before Paul in deuising harme, but Paul hied him after, & not [...]. an equal of his in yeares, but was his inferior, yea far behind him in his zeale. So fast he profited in the Iewish religion, that it was impossible for a mā to hold him back, or hin­der his course. But whē he was thus in al hast po­sting [Page 22] to Damascus, God turneth him another waie, & sendeth him into Arabia, & then brought him back another man.

When you looke vpon Paul in part describing himselfe, or when you read his fury laid foorth in the Acts by Luke, Acts. 9. & 22. no maruel if you maruel how he should be thus chaunged. But looke also and see the meanes of his chaunge: for hee sheweth in these verses: wherein because the Text is plaine, some fewe obseruations wil be best, as. 1. Of the cause of Pauls conuersion what it was. 2. The end why. 3. And his obedience thereto.

The cause of mans conuersion is not found at al in man.1 In the search of the cause of mans con­uersion, a proud Papist would seeke after some puritie in nature, some preparation in man, and for some fauorable willingnes thereunto in himselfe: but looke wee vpon Paul being left to himselfe, and see this one man, and know al men what we are. Nature wor­keth alike in al whereuer it worketh. For if there be any oddes, the diffe­rence is not in men naturally wherein we agree, [Page 23] but aboue and beside our nature where lieth the ods. Paul rideth a maine, his commission is in his bozom, and care at his hart for the ouerthrow of Christians, and Christian profession, when it pleased God, here is the cause, when it pleased God, euen then to alter him wholely and cal him effectually: here is the cause, and in nothing else. Nay from the wombe was Paul segregated by the prouidence and wil of God: and here is the sole and onely cause, both in the wombe where there neither was nor could bee cause at al, and after­ward in the world, when there was great cause to the contrarie, but that so great was Gods goodnes, so good his pleasure.

The fruite of this example, and of the lesson therein is double, both for an assured confirmati­on of our faith, and also to imprint a necessary re­membrance of our duetie to so prouident and lo­uing a God, that not onely careth for Gen. 39.20. Ioseph in the pit and prison, or Exod. 2.6. Moses in the flags &c. but hath a special purpose, in his chosen before he fra­med, and when he fashioned them in the womb.

2 The ende why God called Paul is appa­rent to reueale his sonne in Paul, which was his special and priuate, and endlesse comfort. But the vse God would put him to, was the commoditie and instruction of the Gentiles. Neither could the Apostle haue reuealed that vnto others, if it had beene hid from himselfe. And therefore as it were to tinde the candle that should light a house, was [Page 24] Christ reuealed to Paul that Paul might in prea­ching reueale Christ to them that should beleeue.

God vseth ordi­narilie external and ordinarie meanes. And thus it pleaseth God, as without meanes to cal Paul at the first, so afterward, by meanes of Paul, to win others. Pharao himselfe could haue deliuered out of his Kingly prouision corne to his subiects, but he sent them to Ioseph, and said to his people: Gen. 41.55. Go to Ioseph. Our Sauiour when by miracle he multiplied the fiue Loaues, and the two Fishes, Hee gaue to his Disciples, and his Disciples (I say) his Iohn. 6.11. Disciples (gaue) to them that were set down. Likewise, in spiritual foode and releefe externally, and in publique order by the ministerie of men, and by the meane of prea­ching both then it pleased God to recal the Iews, and cal the Gentiles, and now Eph. 4.13. stil hee vouchsa­ueth vs that his accustomed goodnes by men to deale with men, and to anner this outward mean of preaching, to the inward woorking of his holie spirit.

Ready and reso­lute obedience, where God war­ranteth, with­out al respects.3 For my third note, Paul being thus free­ly called, and fully illuminated not to shine onely to himselfe, or to some fewe, but purposely for the instruction of many, and namely of the Gentiles (for so general was his commission) obedientlie, immediatly, and strait way as it were an arrowe out of a bowe, or a boole downe a hil, or a lighte­ning out of the Heauens he hasteth about his bu­sines, and incontinently without farther debate or delaie iournieth, but whither? To Ierusalem? [Page 25] To the holie Citie? To his ancesters? To them that were Apostles before him? Nothing lesse. He neither regarded the place, nor respected their persons: but the mightie and merciful God that called him, and sent him sufficiently warranted, and he went accordingly about his calling.

1 Sam. 3.8.Young and yet ignorant Samuel when God called him could not tel what the calling went, and went to Ely when he should haue harkened vnto God. But Paul knoweth what hee doth, he consulteth not with any at al, neither with the Apostles, that might seeme to aduise him better, or authorize him farther, neither with flesh and bloode, kif or kin, one man or other, that could af­fection him best, or affect him most: but as it is storied of the 1 Sam. 6.12. newe milch-kine that caried home the Ark, whē their calues were shut vp, that they went straight, & turned neither to the right hand nor to the left: so Paul shutting & resigning vp al his thoughts, directly and foorth right respecting no one consideration at all what euer vnder hea­uen, resolueth himselfe most readily vpon the ob­sequent and due performance of his Apostolicke office. And great reason: for he had warrant al­sufficient, and ability most conuenient. The expresse warrant of God needeth not the allowance of men, few or many. And why should men then depend vpon farther councels and consultations of men, either prouincial or els general, when they are expressely commaunded & enabled from God himselfe, either immediatly speaking, or in his Scriptures directing?

Paul went to Ierusalem when you see, three yeares passing betweene his calling and his go­ing thither, and why, to see Peter, and al the midle while he wanted neither abilitie nor authority in the trade of his function.

In the remnant of this Chapter would be ob­serued two matters. 1. First a doubt which must be resolued. 2. And then a duetie that ought to be learned.

1 The doubt is, why Paul shoulde goe to see Peter. Stapleton. de do. prin. l. 6. c. 13. For our aduersaries reason herehence in effect thus: Paul went to see Peter, ergo Peter was better than Paul: and if Peter were better than Paul, then Peters successors are also better than Pauls: and the The Popes su­premacie deri­ued from Peter. Pope succeedeth Peter, ther­fore the Pope is better than any els, & head of al.

[Page 27] I will not dispute the question whether the Pope if but locally and in place onely, and why more at Rome he, than others at Antioch succee­deth Peter: whether so or no I dispute not nowe. Suppose he there succeedeth, what then?

Personal priui­leges are no­thing to him, who hath no­thing but a lo­cal succession. Priuileges specially granted for personal re­spectes and properties, die with the person, yea manie times before the person, if he leaue off to be so qualified in person, as he was before, & where­fore at first the priuileges were granted forth.

Wherefore suppose Peter had the prehemi­nence, and put case the Pope succeeded Peter in place: Yet if he haue lost the qualities which were in Peter, and which were the causes of Peters preheminence, what is this to such a sorry succes­sor? If the Mat. 5.13. salt haue lost his saltnes in what place soeuer, wherefore is it good? If water were com­mendable in the spring, what is that to proue the goodnes thereof in the riuer, if there it be corrup­ted? But I meane not to medle with the matter and claime of succession now. Yet as hee succee­deth Peter, so he succeedeth Paul too, and so be­like, he is better and worse than himselfe. Better, as succeeding Peter, and inferiour as succeeding Paul.

But what if Peter had not this supremacie which this man callengeth? Then questionles is his title nothing woorth. Herein standeth the case, and hereupon we ioine ishue for the present: whether Peter were supreme heade, absolute go­uernour, [Page 28] & chiefe ruler of the Apostles in such sort as the Pope now claimeth, The aequality of the Apostles commission. Ite, praedicate: Go ye, preach ye. Mat. 28.18. or no. We say no, they say yea. We shew the equality of their commissi­on, 2 Cor. 11.5. and namely that Paul was not inferiour to a­nie, and therefore not to Peter, and therefore also not Peter superior to al apparently. A great part of their euidence is this peece of Scripture of Pauls going to see Peter.

We grant, and it is plaine hee went to see Pe­ter, but that therefore Peter was heade to rule Paul, it wil not follow. To go to see, is not to go to serue Peter. For he went to see, not to serue nor to subiect himselfe. But [...] to see, here may signifie more than to looke vpon a thing sleightly after a vulgar manner, or else vpon a curiositie to goe to see. Paul no doubt went of a great good purpose mutually to acquaint him­selfe, and to see Peter a most reuerend person, and as one of a most excellent spirite, and of rare ver­tues, and his ancient in calling, and in such like respectes, and yet no way by way of subiection. For (as Chrys. in Epi. ad Galat. cap. 1. Chrysostom voucheth) Paul needed not Peter, nor Peters warrant, he was HIS E­QVAL, AND [...]. PEIRE IN HONOR, that I may saie no more, saith he: as who would say, he spake with the least of Paul, when he made him but Pe­ters equal. Then, as equals may go to see their e­qual, so did Paul go to see Peter, his equal in of­fice, but auncient in the calling to the office of the Apostleship. The Prince may go to see a sub­iect, is therefore the Prince by and by become a [Page 29] subiect, and that subiect the Prince, whom the Prince voutsaueth so to visite? But Paul taried with Rhemi. Testae. pag. 497. Peter fifteene daies: a great proofe. What if hee had taried fiftie? As his comming vnto, so that his continuing with Peter argueth neither supremacy in Peter, nor subiection in Paul.

This argument hath beene lately handled, and right learnedly answered in a printed Betweene M. RAINOLDS & IO. HART cap. 4. diuis. 3. Con­ference, and that by a most liuely & fitte example, thus in fewe: The virgin Mary. the Mother of our Sauiour the blessedst among weomen, after the holy Ghost had ouershadowed her, in hast (not after 3. yeares) vp to an hilly country (no easie iourney) went not onely to see, but to salute her cousen Elizabeth, and taried with her no small times, as 15. dayes, but 6. monethes. And what of al this? May it bee inferred hence, that therefore Elizabeth was Maries better? Euen as well as that therefore Peter was better than Paul, be­cause of Pauls iourneying to, & aboad with Peter. The reason is one in both. But ambition blin­deth their eyes more, in the one than in the other.

Yet, 1. the very cause why he went is plaine, for mutuall comfort, and brotherly Conference is betwixt aequal. In hanc epist. Hieron. cap. 2. conference, 2. What hee did there is notorious, he disputed with the Greekes, 3. And expressely he learned nothing of or by men, he was a Master, not a dis­ciple, & he had Disciples: & had he bin instructed, authorised or lessoned by Peter, & not otherwise enabled most perfectly aboue others himselfe, he [Page 30] should not haue beene put to reason with the Act. 9.29. Grecians. And if now he had beene first entred to bee Peters scholer, why went hee before into Arabia, and what had 15. dayes beene to euolue the Lawe, to examine the Prophets, to sift the Scriptures, to learne the whole body of Chri­stian beliefe? And this, I say, this was it that the false Apostles obiected against Paul, that hee was inferiour to the Apostles, that hee learned of them, and that Peter was all in all aboue Paul, which Paul flatly denieth & diuersly sheweth to the contrary. Yea, & to put this doubt the more out of doubt, he sweareth it was not so. Now the thinges which I write vnto you, be­hold before God, that I lye not. To lye by word of mouth is much, aduisedly to write an vntrueth were much more, but to sweare, and in the sight of God to depose a falsehoode, were too too bad. 1 Cor. 44. Al which faults were far frō the blessed Apostle, & therefore we may credit his word & beleeue his writing, & assure our selues vnder his sacred oth that it is a certain trueth that Peter was not su­periour to Paul either for warrant of his office or order of his teaching, notwithstanding his going to see Peter: & then let the Pope claime from Pe­ter at his pleasure, & in truth, what can he gaine?

Afterward with conuenient speed Paul hasteth into the coastes of Syria &c. For the Apostolicke busines was to be followed, Exod. 12.8. and as it were rosted with a quick fier like the Paschal Lambe.

[Page 31] Now the Churches when they heard of this strange alteration, they were not in admiration of Peter, as if he had conuerted or cōfirmed Paul, nor yet of Paul himselfe that was conuerted. But when they heard that Paul was among the Apo­stles, as Saul among the Prophets, they mused much, and were right glad, but they glorified God for Paul. And this was a most Christian du­tie to reioice at the conuersion of a sinner, and in ioy to render al praise to god that conuerted him.

Psal. 114.In the Psalme when the Sea fled, when the riuer turned his course, when the mountaines leapt, and the hils skipped, and the earth trem­bled, the Prophet enquiring the cause of these miraculous euents, answereth himselfe, & saith, this was done by no humane power, but by the powerfull presence of the God of Iacob, which turneth the rock into a water-poole, and the flint into a fountain of water. Semblably it was more than a woonder to see Paul thus altered, thus re­lenting, thus altogither changing his former life.

Men rather praise the means than the author of goodnesse.But in such cases cōmonly there is no mean in humane iudgements. For 1. either we enuy there­at through malice. 2. Or we magnifie too much through folly, rather men the receiuers, than God the giuer. we gaze on Act. 3.12. Peter, we sacrifice to Act. 14.15. Paul, we glorifie not God, neither for Peter, nor Paul.

When Paul that sought to roote out the faith and Christian profession, now planteth the faith, I esteeme him as a planter: but hee 1 Cor. 3.7. that wate­reth [Page 32] is nothing, and he that planteth is nothing, and nothing deserueth not any thing, and there­fore not ame praise, in comparison of God that gi­ueth the encrease, and made Paul a planter, and Ephes. 10.11. who woorketh all in al, according to the coun­sel of his owne wil.

In the receit of water, I praise the spring for the ishue of the water, and not the condit, as if it sprang from the condit pipe. In the sight of light, the glasse is but a meane to lighten the house, the cause of light is in the sunne. But at this time I speak not of means, or of ministerial instruments whereof there is a due 1. Cor. 4.1. regarde, but of the soue­raigne cause of our stonie hearts now being mol­lified, of our foorth in sinne sometime as it were a maine water course that way, now quite chaun­ged another way. I speake of Paul once a perse­cuter, now made a preacher of the Gospell, and when I speake hereof, I speake of God, and of his only work, and therefore in only glorifieng God therein, these churches did their duetie. Tu vade & fac similiter. Go thy way whosoeuer thou bee, learne this lesson this daie, and in like cases doe the like. If Ioh. 8.50. Christ the naturall Sonne of God sought not his owne glorie, but his fathers, what must wee the adopted doe? What is our duetie herein thinke ye? And I pray you brethren most earnestly among many duties think wel on this. Make not more of the lanthorne, than of the light that shineth through the lanthorne.

CHAP. II.

IN these lines are sette forth, 1. the circum­stances of Pauls second viage to Ierusalem, 2. his conference there, 3. and howe stoutlie and wisely hee demeaned him-selfe, vpon occasion offered by certaine false brethren.

1 In the circumstances, 1. he sheweth vpon [Page 34] what inducement he vndertooke the iourney, viz. vpon no priuate fancy, but by euident reuelation. 2. Then hee went not secretly and by stelth, but with Barnabas, and hee tooke with him Titus al­so. So went hee with good companie, and as it were the curtaines of the Exod. 26.5. tabernacle twisted and knit togither, or Ezech. 1.16. Ezechiels wheeles, one in ano­ther (I meane) arme in arme, in perfect amitie, great frindship and mutual comfort, and that vn­der sufficient witnes. Peters residēce in Rome 25. years impossible. 3. Another circumstance is of the time, then 14 years after, which being wel loked into doth plainly argue the impossibility of Peters being, or (as they speake) of Peters sitting (forsooth) so long at Rome, quite contrarie to the nature of his apostolike office, 25. years togither. For without al controuersie & contradiction Pe­ter liued not aboue 40. years after our Sauiors passion, & if at the least he were 18. yeares at Ieru­salem, when Paul who doubtles was called Acts. 9.3. after our Sauiours ascension, came thither, & found him there, how possibly could hee rest first at An­tioch 7. yeares, and then at Rome 25? For 18. & 7. and 25, make more than 40. It cannot bee. These were the circumstances.

2 In Pauls conference, 1. the matter he con­ferred of may bee considered. 2. the persons with whom hee conferred, and the ende of his confe­rence. 1. Touching the matter which he declared vnto them, more in place conuenient. Why, I pray you, was Paul in doubt of the goodnes of his [Page 35] cause, of the certaintie of his doctrine, of the as­surednes of his doing, that at the length hee be­thought himselfe of this conference? Did hee put his doctrine in Rhem. Test. Pag. 499. trial now, and to the approbati­on of others as the Papists imagine? The whole drift and tenor of his speach is to the contrarie. He was called negatiuely not of men nor by men: affirmatiuely by Christ, and by Christ alone, by an Heauenlie vision, by a celestiall reuelation. Three yeares were betweene his first calling, and before his first iourneying to Ierusalem, and fourteen before this his second iourney. Shotte he al this while at random, ventured hee without a warrant, or knew he not what hee did, & delt he at aduentures? No, by no meanes, no. This con­ference was no dubious or disputable communi­cation too and fro, pro and con: houering vp and downe vncertainly: [...]. he opened his doctrine, he declared and shewed it to them, how Christ was the accomplishment of the Law, and abolishment of former ceremonies, and that the partition wal was taken downe, and that the Gentiles were to haue a common entrance with others into the knowledge of Christ. This was the matter of his conference and communication. 2. The persons with whom he conferred, were the chiefe. 1. If there were mo chiefe than one, then was not one & namely Peter not chiefe of al. 2. He conferred with the chiefe. For why? To conferre with the foote when a man may haue conference with the [Page 36] head were no wisdome. 3. he conferred particu­larly, or priuatly. Wherein neither he disdained them, nor they him, though they there were the chiefe. But for that, [...]. he priuatlie and as it were a part did communicate his cause, may be obser­ued a general caution that would bee seene vnto, which is, Priuate confe­rence. that to make a matter publickely con­trouersed and in common demurred, when priuat notice can doe that is to be done, and remedy the whole, were great folly and litle discretion. Paul as he was paineful in vndertaking this iourney, so was he warie and careful in collating the mat­ter with the chiefe and that in priuate maner.

Learne, my brethren, learn this wise and wor­thy lesson. If any thing fall out in the variance of causes, and varieties of iudgementes, first to con­fer, and then conueniently and in due sort to go Matt. 18.15. to thy brother secretly, to deale with thy equals reuerently, much more with thy betters, and with men in place, and placed in authoritie, duti­fully, and as thou shouldest; yea, if thy cause bee Iudae Epist. vers. 9. good as was Pauls, and therefore much rather in causes vncertaine. There is most ease in so doing, and lesse shame in the eies of those who are enemies, and gladly behold the troublesome con­ferences of vs, whom yet otherwise they knowe to be the verie children of God, but that men are men, and haue their imperfections, and that the soundest body sometimes sendeth foorth an an­gry whelck, which is made much more the worse [Page 37] for scratching (I say) much more the worse, both for the inwarde paine, and also to the outwarde shew of the beholders.

In the 2. book and of Samuel the first chapter Dauid being certified of Sauls death amongst o­ther lamentations in most lamentable manner breaketh forth into these words: 2 Sam. 1.20. Tel it not in Gath, publish it not in the streetes of Askelon, least the daughters of the Philistines reioice, least the children of the vncircumcised tri­umph. Gath and Askelon were of the chiefe ci­ties of the vncircumcised, who were Gods eni­mies. Dauid wisheth that Sauls death might bee concealed from them if it were any way possible, and it greeued Dauid the more, that most glad­ded and reioiced them that were Gods enemies. With like affection (brethren) it were to bee wi­shed that imperfections either were not at all, or at the leastwise because offences must bee, that they were not growen to that groth and bignes, that they may be discerned among the enemies of vs and of our God. For a priuate conference and a quiet composition were far better.

3 My third note was why Paul went again to Ierusalem, prouoked by reuelatiō: but to what end? To the end that hee neither might here­after run, neither that his running (for he calleth the execution of his office no idle Matt. 20.6. standing, but a laboursome running) that his running in for­mer time also might not be in vaine. Paul had an [Page 38] eye to the fruit of his labour and to the end of his function.

In vaine di­versly taken.But was it possible, that Paul whom God set a work, should worke in vaine? In vaine is here that, which did not answere to the Apostles wish, when his purposed entent took not effect. Which the rather came to passe, because of slaunders raised vp, that Paul forsooth varied from the chiefe Apostles, that hee impeached the dignitie expresly of circumcision, and that he generally sought the abolishment of ancient receaued rites and ceremonies ordained by God himselfe: which when weake mindes heard, they were soone en­ueigled with entising woords, and Pauls prea­ching became in vaine to them, and vnto them vnprofitable.

Wherefore to declare that the rest of the A­postles with him and hee with them were of one vniforme iudgement, he taketh sufficient witnes, vndertaketh the iourney, conferreth his doings, to the end to stop the mouthes of cauillers, and to the farther confirmation of the infirmer sort, that his running might not be in vaine to them ward. For doubtles otherwise diuine operations & ser­uices according to Gods secret purpose, they ne­uer are, nor can be in vain. Which way soeuer his two edged sword striketh, it striketh to the glory of God whose sword it is. Humane labors many times loose their ende, and misse the marke: with Esay. 55.10. God it is not so.

[Page 39] If thou sowe thy field, ouer-much moysture rotteth, cold killeth and heart parcheth and mar­reth all. But, the spirituall seede of the worde whether it take roote or no, or how-soeuer it spring vp, whether it rest or not rest in the hartes of the hearers, in respect of Gods glory whose husband-men wee are, or in regarde of the cer­taine 2 Tim. 4.8. Crowne reposed, and of the rewarde pre­fixed, which God will assuredly render to all his faithfull seruantes, it is neuer, it cannot bee in vaine.

In vaine they heare who heare with an euill or a itching eare, but the preacher after his du­tifull paines at the Matt. 20.8. euening of the day and end of haruest, though the sheaues, though the people will not bee gathered, hee shall receiue his penny neuerthelesse. The laborers paine is neuer the lesse, though the euent be not aunswerable. The blacke Aethiop goeth into hath and commeth out as blacke as he went in, notwithstanding the keeper of the bath hath his fees as well for the Aethiop, as for the fayrest. But here Paul respecteth onely the profit of his auditorie, and speaketh not of the purpose of God either in rewarding himselfe, or reuenging them.

3 My last obseruation out of the former verses was to marke, how wisely Paul dealeth, how stoutly and vpon what occasion. Certaine false brethren were craftilie sent, and priuily crept in, as fine intelligencers and vnder-mining pioners of Christian liberty. But Paul wiselie discerneth, and couragiously resisteth them, and [Page 40] suffereth not Titus to be circumcised for al that, neither would hee yeelde so much as a foote of ground vnto them, neither in an inch of trueth, nor for a moment of time. For a litle yeelding in so great matters is not a litle.

There is diffe­rence between a necessary con­tention, and a desire of con­tending.But, the controuersie was but a quarell of ce­remonies, and what neede so much a-doo then? Had it not beene better to haue beene quiet? To haue slept in a hole skinne? And to haue redee­med peace, though it were with losse? nay verily, the losse of liberty, of trueth and verity is more than may be easily borne, or quietly digested, and the root of true peace is the bond of peace. And he, Who is the trueth, he is our peace also, Eph. 2.14. which hath made both one, viz. by taking away quite the partition of ceremonies. And therefore the reteining of these ceremonies, either in whole or in part is a very breach of perfect peace, and a bringing in of an heauy yoak, & a Iewish seruili­ty. Wherefore no marueil if Paul were earnest.

For what reason, that because some wily and wilfull men, brethren in name, but false indeede, and therefore no brethren, nay what if very bre­thren should hap to linke and knit, and band themselues and runne all in one as it were a shole of fish, being caried and driuen in heapes vpon an opinion, what reason that the trueth of God should yeeld, & that the Lord himself should stoupe, rather than men should be at variance, some holding with, and many times, many siding [Page 41] and sorting them-selues against a good cause? Pauls doing is a better president. But such wise­dome, courage & constancy are not euery where found, and not alwaies there perfourmed where they are much expected and greatly required.

Of all things, a busie waspe, and a quarelling or stubborne curst nature is woorst. But if the cause be Gods, if thy calling and giftes be accor­ding, there is no Eccl. 4.28. relenting at al, no starting backe, no shutting neck out of the coller in such cases, in cases whereunto a man is expresly & duly enabled, warranted & commanded. Zeale without discretion is naught, discre­tiō without zeal is nothing worth. Wherefore, 1. zeal without wisedome is neuer good. 2. And yet, what is wisedome without zeal? 3. But zeal and discretion seemely vnited in one (as it was in our Apostle) is as the throne of wise Solomon, and as the strong 1 King. 10.20. Lions at the staies and ascen­ding vp vnto his throne.

Paul in his conference gaue no place to the chiefe, and the chiefe brethren gaue nothing to Paul by waie of authorizing his person, or adding to his doctrine. 1. and hee sheweth why it should be so, 2. and withall declareth the chiefe Apostles due consenting vnto him, 3. and onely requesting him to haue a careful eye to the poore, which Paul respected and did ful diligently.

The motiue of Antiquity.Among the argumentes the false Apostles v­sed against Paul, a maine matter was made, and drawen from Antiquity, that the other Apostles were ancienter than Paul, and therefore questi­onles to be preferred.

Truly, personal preferment was not the mark Paul shot at. For he could be euer, and was often wel content in all things to giue and yeeld so far foorth as might stand with the glory of Christ. But in this ceremonious quarel opposed against the trueth of Christ, and Christian libertie, as be­fore hee defied an Angell, if to that end he should come from heauen, so now he declareth that the name of Antiquitie in the Apostles might not ca­ry [Page 43] him away nor driue him aside.

They were his auncients. What mattereth that to me, saith he? And indeede it skilleth litle. There is no prescription against the Prince, and why should there be any against the trueth, be it later or sooner in whomesoeuer? This or that time, past or present, or future and to come is not in the nature of trueth; neither are matters of faith measured by yeares, nor is any point of religion liable to be decided by continuance pre­tended.

Iob. 32. Elihu said well: There is a spirit in man, but the inspiration of the Almightie giueth vnder­standing. As if he had said: man is made not onlie of a body, but of a bodie and a soule, and that soule is a reasonable spirit, and that spirite in processe of yeares and tract of time gathereth politique experience, as it were a stone that hath been long pitcht in one place gathereth much mosse. But all that experience is but mossy, terrene and earthly; true wisdome is from aboue, from the Father of lights and God of knowledge, reueiled in his Son, which illuminateth euery man not onely comming into the worlde, but either en­tering into, or els continuing priuatly or pub­liquely in the house of his church. And therfore E­lihu reformeth his thoughts & voucheth, that he was mis-conceited when he thought that it was the length of daies should speake, and that the multitude of yeares should teach wisedome.

[Page 44] But yet of old and stil many men embrace ra­ther Elihu his first opinion concerning age and antiquity, than his later iudgement, afterwarde wel rectified and truly reformed. So an old pro­phet soone deceaued the young Prophet, whom neither the threats, nor entreaty of 1. King. 12. a king could moue at al. So Iosh. 9. old shewes, olde battles, findes bread, torne sackes, tottered rags, like rotten re­lickes with profered seruice (seruus seruorum) and pretence of comming from far, deceaued Io­sue, because hee rather respected such trinkets, and consulted not with the Lord.

Our aduersaries knowe how humane affecti­ons leane this way, and therefore they beare the poore people in hand that theirs is the old religi­on, and ours is an yesterdaies bird: but with the like trueth and with the same spirite the Iewes said our sauiours doctrine was new, the Apostles preaching new wine, and the false Apostles here obiect that Saint Paul was an vpstart, and de­uoid of Apostolick warrant.

Sooner or later called, it skilleth not, old or new if true, it forceth little. If the name of new were alwaies naught, why would Christ cal his louely commandement Iohan. 13.34. a new commanded? If the name of old were alwaies good, why did S. Paul cōmand & aduise the Corinthians that the 1 Cor. 5.7 old leuen, the incestuous person be purged out? If you wil recourse to the first heade of all in this question, it were another matter. For God [Page 45] is for euer, and before Sathan and Sathans fal, the Lawe was first giuen, and then ensued the transgression: first the husbandman sowed his ground, and afterward the enimie came & sowed tares. And which is to be obserued, there was no long time betweene. For Sathan took the next oportunitie of ignorance and securitie, euen the next night, as it were, when the ground was yet new turned and trimmed for seede, the enemie sparst some of his tares in the fielde and Church of God. And then while truth and error were yet but greene in the blade, the difference was not so easily discerned, Mat. 13.25. til the growth was greater.

And, as it is this in the cause of truth compa­red with error, so is it in the professors and Doc­tors of trueth compared among themselues, the first teacher is not alwaies best, for then the vsher must needes bee better than the schoolemaister, and the country schoolemaister, than the vniuer­sitie Reader.

Peter and Andrewe, Iames and Iohn and o­thers were called before Paul. Hee asketh what was that to him? There was no difference or pre­stancy therin. He had antiquity enough, that had Christ for his author. So that in all materiall respects if they were Apostles, so was Paul. Nay 1 Cor. 15.10. 2 Cor. 11.23. hee laboured more than al they. And a great deale of labour in a shorter time, is more worth than lesse labour in a longer space.

And as it is this in teachers, so generally may [Page 46] it bee, and sometime is (my brethren) among the rest of beleauers: one beleeueth sooner, & another later. God can teach him in one daie, as much as thou hast learned in tenne before. An olde and an humble graie whiteheadead Latimer or White­head (to mention these two onely in steede of ma­nie) is a venerable spectacle and a reuerend sight, but a conuerted soule saued out of the fier, and thus to become a preacher of the Gospel, is a most admirable mirror in mine eyes. And yet thus can the spirite of Christ blow and purifie and woorke euen thus mightily where and vpon whom it wil and therefore it was not preiudicial at al to Paul that hee was no sooner called, that was so effec­tually called in the end.

Iames and Iohn, Andrew and Peter because of their calling before Paul, were growen in good credit. True. And therefore Paul telleth them that notwithstanding that, God doth not accept mens persons and external credit. God can and doth raise vp instrumentes of his glory in latter daies some passing and exceeding many of former tymes. Wherefore Paul with great right and reason setteth it down, that he borowed not his light of others who were before him, but ascri­beth al to God almightie, whom he sheweth to be no respecter of persons.

How God accep­teth, and accep­teth not of per­sons.Yet herein may arise some question. For doth not God accept persons? Who then shal be ac­cepted, if he accept none? That, that wee are, we [Page 47] are by grace, by fauor, and by acceptation. Then certainly he accepteth some. He accepted Iacob when hee reiected the elder Brother Esau. Yea, whom hee accepteth not, he doth reiect. There­fore in this sense it is true, he accepteth persons, to wit according to his good will, purpose, choise and pleasure.

But for any thing acruing to man, or rising in him, externally by meane of ordinary circum­stances, God is not respectiuely partial, to prefer one person before another, the rich before the poore, Peter before Paul, for that cause and there­fore, because Peter was first called, & because ma­ny had a better opinion of the one, than of the o­ther. And this is Saint Pauls meaning in these words: God is no accepter of persons.

2 In the second point, I obserued a decla­ration of the Apostles friendly and full consen­ting to Paul. As there was great reason why hee should stand vpon the authoritie he had receaued of God: so when the Apostles saw 1. His commis­sion in the Gospel, and 2. the grace of God in him among the Gentiles, they strait ioyned mutual­ly togither in one societie. Wherein you marke plainly 1. the euidence of Pauls authoritie. 2. the limits of his charge. 3. and their equality and as­sociation among themselues. Triall and pro­uing goeth be­fore consenting. 1. They first saw and knew so much before they yeelded. The eye commonly is a true informer of true knowlege, when they saw, they knew. But seeing & know­ing [Page 48] here may be alone, the outward sense for the inward vnderstanding, but til they knewe, they did not ioyne. Ios. 9.14. The Gibionits deceaued Iosue, be­cause Iosue was ouer-credulous, but they vpon thorough triall found Pauls euidence good and found. 1 Tim. 2.7. 2. the limits and bounds of his calling rea­ched vnto the vtmost partes, and as it were to the hems and skirts of al the woorld, and namely and chiefly to the Gentiles. Chiefly to them, not folely among them, for he had a harty considera­tion and desire for Rom. 10.1. Israel also. But the Iewes were rather Peters charge, and the Gentiles were chiefly committed to Paul, and the Iewes more chiefly to Peter. Wherefore the papacy that claimeth from Peter, may better seeke a chiefly among the Iewes, than among vs the Gentiles. 3. And this was concluded among them that nei­ther should more than was conuenient, put sickle in the others haruest, and that all should in their lot labour, and he rein they agreed, and they which were reputed pillars gaue to Paul and Barna­bas their right hands vpon it.

How Ministers are wel resem­bled to the pil­lars in a buil­ding.It were not amuse ouer and aboue to note how the Apostles, and after them the ministers of Gods Church may be called, and should be re­puted, and he indeed the pillars of their congre­gations. The staie of an house are the pillars thereof, euen as the strength of mans body, are his hones. And such should men of our vocation be, the wals and watchmen of a cuy, the beautie, [Page 49] the strength, the defence, 2 King. 2.12. the horse and chariot of Israel, as was Elias. Of old such were the olde Patriarches and Prophets, afterwarde such were the Apostles and Euangelists, and such are now good Bishops and vigilant Pastors and Teachers till the comming of Christ, whom in the meane while he Ephes. 4.11. gaue to his Church for the gathering togither of his Saintes, for the worke of the ministery, for the building vp of his bodie.

Iudg. 16.29.It is storied of Sampson, that hee tooke the midle pillars of the Philistines temple, and pul­led them both downe at once. These pillars are stronger than so. They shal not faile, they cannot fal. God that hewed them out, wil hold them vp, and who shal pul them downe? Iob. 1.19. The wind out of the wildernes ouer-turned Iobs house. It is not so with Gods house, it is founded on a rocke, and fixed on sure pillars, and these pillars are fixed, Sampsons strength wil not, and Sathans can­not pul them downe.

Fugitiues and lookers-back from the plough they once laid their hands vnto. For if al these pillars yeelde, the whole edifice followeth after. When but a minister shrinketh, the faith of many is much weakned. But (dear­ly beloued) be not deceaued. Al should be pillars firme and strong, that seeme to bee: some seeme and bee as they seeme, some onely seeme to bee, and bee not indeede. And what if some such haue defected? What if some certaine haue gone out of the dore, that came in at the window? What if certaine that were among vs, but neuer of vs, [Page 50] Acts. 1.25. haue gone into their own place, and shewed themselues, as Iudas among the Apostles? What if certaine haue with-drawen their shoulders from Gods labour, and being but greene timber, and that not of the Lordes hewing, haue shrunck away, misliking this great duety yet good ser­uice of ours in humility to support and stand vn­der others to doe them good? Nay what if some in steede of holding vp, hale and pul downe? Cer­tainly the iudgementes of God are iust, and will be hard and heauy toward al these in that daie. And yet for al this the Lords house shal stil stand vpon hir pillars, vpon such pillars as are of im­putrible wood, of wood that wil not rotte, well seasoned by the Lord, and therefore cannot faile, but shal endure vnto the end.

3 The last point was the Apostles petition to Paul to remember the poore, which hee not superficially or sleightly, but with earnest ende­uour performed. Wherein I note, 1. both the case of Christians, 2. and the care of the Apostles to supply their neede. 1. So The state of the best, in this world is manie times worst. was it euer, Pharao was at his ease, and Israel at his taske. Lazarus lieth without doores, the Rich man goeth gayly and fareth deliciously euery day. So our Saui­our was borne in a stable, and layd in a cratch exiled in his infancy, and in the whole race of his life had not where to rest his head. Thus it was of old, & thus it wil bee for the most part euer. 2. But yet so much the rather, because Pharao [Page 51] oppresseth, the world neglecteth, and Herod per­secuteth, because pouertie most aboundeth com­monly where men are best, because others care not at al for vs, therefore the Apostles did, and we must care the more one for another: Care for the needy very re­quisit, but sel­dom vnder­taken. Remem­ber the poore.

Gen. 37.In Iosephs dreame the leane cow did eat vp the fat, but it is now no dreame the fatte cow de­uoureth the lean, the ful eare eateth vp the poorer corne, the rich man waxeth richer and richer without end and remorse, and who remembreth or once thinketh of the poore, Phil. 4.18. as if the sacrifice of almes were an out-worne ceremonie, and out of date?

For doctrinal pointes, they adde nothing to Paul but onely put him in mind of this merciful remembrance. And blessed is he, Psa. 41.1. qui intelligit su­per egenum, Who considereth the needy.

Chrysostom Tom. 5. worthily mistiketh too much cu­riosity in bestowing thy almes, but yet there is a diligence and an intelligence therein. For some make a trade of begging as friarly mendicantes and voluntarie rogues. Wherefore blessed is he who wisely considereth the distressed: Ioseph in the prison, Lazar in the hospital, the fatherles, the widowe, the stranger, the needy housekeeper that hath a poore honest wife and many smal children lying and liuing vpon his handes and his onelie handy labour.

But you wil question with me, what had Paul [Page 52] to doe with the prouiding for the poore? In assuming certaine officers to see to the poore, they left not off to be as careful for the poore, as conue­niently they might. He was no Deacon, he was an Apostle. And the Apostles had giuen ouer that function, as appeareth in the Acts, Cap. 6. vers. 2.

What they gaue ouer, they had before. For no mā can giue ouer that he neuer had. And ther­fore I am of opinion that the care for the poore is no disparagement (as I may so call it) to the nature of the Apostleship. Whereas the Apo­stles once were lawfully carefull both for prea­ching, and also for the poore, and now againe the Apostles expresly request Paul to bee mindful of the poore, which I interpret to be, not onelie by exhortation in the poores behalfe, but by conue­nient procuration of reasonable meanes. I mis­like that hande that thinketh to hold and gripe ouer-much, and to deale in moe matters than it can wel span or comprehend: & yet I like not that opinion which is, that because a man cannot per­fectly vse any one talent well, therefore hauing moe talents giuen him, he shall imploy but one. Wherefore I say as saied the Apostles, O Paul thou Apostle, whereuer thou goest, so it be no hin­deraunce to thy proper function, as sometime it maie bee none, remember the poore. Much more (thou Preacher) whereuer thou art fixed, remember the poore. Cast thy bread vpon these waters, hide thy gift in the fertile ground of the poore mans bozem, thou canst not effer thy sa­crifice vppon a better altar. O remember the [Page 53] poore by al good meanes in these dear and hard harted times.

Hitherto we haue looked into the causes and consequences of Pauls iourney the second time to Ierusalem, and of his conference with Peter and with others there. Here we are to beholde Pauls conflict at Antioch with Peter alone, but yet openly in the sight of al: wherein we see, 1. the boldnes of Paul reprehending, and 2. the fault and frailtie of Peter offending. I purpose in the whole to note, 1. the cause and desert of this re­prehension, and 2. the manner of Pauls vsage therein.

[Page 54] 1 Touching the fault and cause deseruing, it fell out thus, as the tert sheweth plainely enough. Peter being at Antioch companied with the Gentils, frequented their tables, & did eate as they did. Great men sin­ning cause ma­ny to sinne with them. But when certaine came from Ierusa­salem from Iames, Peter (belike no supreme ter­ror of all the world) was in a feare of Iames his messengers, and began an other course, seque­stred himselfe, drew backe, and tooke his diet a part. And as a great tree doth not fall, but manie litle boughes fall with it, so with Peter sundrie flocked aside, yea and Barnabas was caried away with the streame.

And this was the cause, verily no small cause of Pauls reprehending of Peter. For hereby the Iewes were ensnared, the Gentils amazed, Bar­nabas seduced, the trueth peruerted, Christian liberty enthrauled, the veile which once was rent, was patched togither, and hung vp againe, and the partition wall that was taken downe, was built vp anew, and all now brought to this passe, as if the kingdome of Christ should consist in the difference of meates, and the vse of ceremonies. And those whome Acts. 10.15. God had clensed began to bee suspected of pollution and vncleanesse, and al this by Peters tredding awry and not going with an vpright foote in the waies of the Gospell. And was not this cause sufficient soundly & roundly to take vp Peter?

2 The manner of Pauls reprehending was [Page 55] downe-right and plaine. For what els should be doone in such a case? How might he best reclaime the Iewes, reforme Barnabas, and comfort the Gentils? A Publicke re­proofe in cases very necessarie. priuate dealing and a secret reproofe of Peters dissembling & the Iewes backe-sliding perchance had beene to litle effect, and when the fact was open, if the reproofe were but secret, what might the Gentils think? They sawe the fault, they heare it not reprooued. And if other­wise Paul should haue sought priuately to con­firme the Gentils, & Peter had not beene checked at all, it might haue beene a greater scruple than before. Wherefore publikely in the face and sight of all (because it was most requisite so) Paul re­prehendeth Peter openly in termes as you see.

And hee goeth directly to the roote of this offence, and first purgeth the hart and stomacke whence sprang the fault. If thou) nay if it were mine owne cause, If we, whose education hath beene amongst the Hebrues, haue forsaken those rites, shall the Gentils by our example gather doubts of conscience in the ceremonials? Neither thou, nor I, we seeke not so to bee iustified, and then what neede this halting and limping, this auck-ward treading in the waies of God? So earnest was Paul, and reason good. A Reue. 3.16. Laodician professor, a luke-warme reprehension in causes of highest importance was neuer good.

Porphyries [...] pagans motiues.Vpon this, and vpon some such like occasion, the enimies of Christianity, as namely Porphiry, [Page 56] an olde capital arch-enimy, argueth on this wise: Paul and Peter, doe you not see how they vary & iarre? Can they or either of them be in the right way? Paul reprehendeth Peter openly, ergo Paul was a peremptorie proude person. Peter dissem­bleth, and cannot bee excused. Ergo both were in fault. For excuse of them both our new Rhemish. Test. Pag. 502. Rhe­mish Masters tell vs, that this is a school point, and much debated between Saint Hierome and Saint Augustine, and they seeme to incline to Hieroms opinion, that this whole combate was a sette thing agreed-vpon betweene them, be­tweene Paul and Peter for a purpose.

Their schooles, and these wise men haue very euill luck. If there be an infirmity or fancy in any of the ancient Fathers, by and by they make that a schoole point, and as it were their Tennise Bal to play withall, and in the end they resolue and conclude with the worst part euer.

If any reasonable indifferent man but looke into the text, hee will see plainly and say boldly it was no secret set mach nor pretended deuise. For Peter was blame-worthy, and both wherein, & also how he offended is largely described. And if we beleeue not Saint Pauls worde, yet wee can­not discredit his oth. Now the thinges I write, before God I ly not, Cap. 1.20. saith he. Neither was Paul any sophist to dally in wordes, neither was hee a papist to dispense with othes, neither yet a plaier of a counterfeit part, as it might be vpon a stage.

[Page 57] Hierom for his fancy alleadgeth authorities and reason such as he could. Aug. in Epist. 9. 11. 19. Saint Augustine answereth them both in summe & effect thus: first for his authorities they were not sound, and that there were better authors against him than with him, and then were Hieromes authors neuer either so godly of life, or skilled in learning o­therwise, yet it skilled not in controuersies so greatly, as to ouer-beare a truth. For what man bringeth and teacheth except it be founded vpon Scripture, or probably collected and gathered out of Scripture, it bindeth not the conscience to beleue and imbrace that. Such soueraigne ho­nor, and absolute obedience is only du to the word of God, and to nothing els.

As for Hieroms reason, thus he reasoned, but quite beside reason, euen that it were better Paul should yet herein write an vntrueth, than that Peter should bee though to haue doone amisse. Yea? Saith Augustine, by the like vnreasonable reason, were it better to discredit the book of Ge­nesis, than graunt that Noe the preacher of righ­teousnesse, or that Loth a righteous soule, should offende, the one in drunckennesse, the other in drunckennesse and in incest too? &c.

No, no (my brethren) better all flesh should appeere to bee fleshe, that is, fraile and sinnefull, than that the least iotte or pricke of Gods sacred booke should bee impeached. Psa. 116.11. Al men are liars, God onely is holy in all his woorkes, and true in [Page 58] all his saiengs, both in foretelling future euents, and things to come, & in relating and registring facts and deedes which haue bin past.

Neither take wee delight in the recitall of the sinnes of men, neither can Porphiry take aduan­tage to discredit the trueth by a true report of an humane infirmity. The purpose of Paul herein is plain, and it was this: 1. That for his autho­rity, it was from God. 2. For his doctrine, it was by reuelation, and not learned of Peter as it was obiected, which appeareth by his practize therein. 1. In Arabia. 2. In Ierusalem once and again: 3. And lastly in Antioch in such sort as we haue seene.

The motiue of contention and of vnity.This vnreasonable motiue of disagreeing, & of the breach of vnity, our aduersaries presse vs with, euen as Porphiry opposed the Primatiue Church. But I aske them, and I require their answere: is contention and the breach of vnity euer the infallible badge of false professors? I coulde except and giue instances many, but my meaning is not to cast yncke vpon the whitest lawne. I demaund is contention a certaine signe of a corruption? We contend with them, and they with vs, as Agar molested Sara. What? There­fore are we and they both naught, because either contend ech with other?

Gen. 32.24.In contending, I graunt, a man may spraine a vaine as Iacob in wrestling, and as Luther said, he that wrestleth with a collier, albeit in the [Page 59] strength of a clean cause, hee fal the collier, yet in falling him, he may soile himselfe. And this may be somewhat sometime to the professor, but no­thing to the profession. Yea, though the light of trueth it selfe in striuing with darcknes suffer some kinde of dimnes, yet must wee not therefore accuse the light.

But, say they, when a professor of one religion striueth with a professor of the same, then belike, the professors are both naught, and their profes­sion not good. No forsooth. For so might wee condemne both Paul and Peter, both Austine and Hierom as you see, and many others. No doubt in some skirt or hem, in an out-part of a matter, where notwithstāding alwaies the foun­dation is kept, the 1 Cor. 3.15. losse wil bee the lesse: nay, e­uen in some materiall pointes diuerse men haue thought diuersly, and haue not beene so strictlie dealt withal, nor straight way condemned.

But can our Papists a little at their best lea­sure from their busie tracheries and rebellious enterprises against our Prince and peace, can they looke homeward and as it were by way of reflexion take view of themselues? Verily there was neuer sect so cut, neuer heresie so diuided, neuer wood he wen into so many chips, as is po­pery mangled in it selfe, resembling the verie thildren of Israel at the Num. 20.13. waters of Merib and strife, & much like the Iug. 7.22. Madianits and Cadmies brood fighting and warring ech with other vnto [Page 60] the death. And herein if one would follow Wil­liam Rainoldes a late writer in his vaine, in collecting antilogies and contradictions of Pa­pists, as hee would seeme to doe out of the profes­sors of truth, no time would serue. So endlesse and infinite are the brables and brawles of Po­pery and Popish diuines, made vp altogither of vntempered morter: and hereof if any doubt, I dare, and doe make offer of plenary proofe, as a­bout the authority of councels, about the auten­ticknes of the Hebrew Text, about original sin, about inherent righteousnes, and innumerable questions of greatest moment.

In the meane time this may suffice briefely, but truely to signifie that Popery is diuided and at whot strife and contention in it selfe, and there­fore is, as themselues doe argue against others, no true profession. And againe if vnity be a signe of the trueth, we (deerely beloued) we, wee haue the greatest vnity that man hath euer knowen a­mongest men in any Realme.

Accessary matters haue diuers accidentes. Substantiall pointes of greatest moment in our Church haue the fairest vnity, & that more gene­rally than hath beene seene in any age. In the Exod. 26.20. booke of Exodus the two Cherubims in the one sitteth opposite & cōtrary right against the other, but both of them looke into the propitiatory and mercy seate: altogither so, how euer men be af­fected in questions not of greatest importance, [Page 61] yet all of vs, all looke directly on the mercy of God, not one of vs looketh either to the right hand or to the left, or backward on himselfe, vpon his own supposed purity of naturals, preparation in nature, liberty in willing, or merit in wor­king, al of vs ioyntly and only we fix our eies, and looke per rectam lineam vpon that serpent that healeth vs Iohn. 3.15. all.

If, (as Aug. de ciuit. Dei lib. 18. c. 42. by some it is imagined) as the Septu­agint interpreters were, so not seuenty but 70. times 70. of our learned men were separatly sea­ted in their seueral selles, and to set downe their iudgements in Cardinal and chiefest points of beleefe, I am assured of such a perfect harmony in sense of trueth, as if they should all speake with one toung, and write at once with one pen. So that, if necessarily euer vnity might demonstrate the true way, we hauing so good an vnity, by con­sequent we are in the trueth: and if dissention in­ferre and proue error, our aduersaries and their school-brablers with their Friarly varieties, in­finite sectaries and opinatiue Doctors are heires apparant thereunto, notwithstanding their mo­tiues and demandes against vs, and claimes for themselues.

Now to come backe againe to our text, Paul reprehended and reprooued Peter, and that verily so, and yet we make it no Motiue to condemne Peter vtterly, but to commend Paul the more. Peter profited him nothing, but Paul benefited [Page 62] Peter in this iust reproofe. My distinct notes in and of them both are these: In Paul I obserue, 1. The lawfulnesse of his vocation as before, 2. The equality of his degree, 3. The thorough execution of his office to the ful without respects. In Peter, who was afeard of an arrowe with­out a head, fearing them who came from Iames, I marke, 1. The infirmity of man, 2. The weight of examples in great men, 3. The reforming of himselfe.

But here as when a man hath cut an eele or a snake into twenty peeces, yet euery peece wil still wag: so our aduersaries stil striue and struggle, and shift for life when they are in sight past all hope, though their arguments and answers, reioinders and replies haue beene cut a-sunder the very hart-stringes of them more than an hun­dred times: for they see, if Peter did erre, as no doubt he did heere in dissembling, as Mat. 26.70. els-where in denying our Sauiour Christ, then the Pope may er, & therefore they haue coined diuersities of cases wherein neither Peter did, nor the Pope may erre, and namely, how the Pope may erre Rhemi. Test. Pa. 206. &. 502 In conuersation and manners, yet in faith definitiuely hee cannot erre. With whome a litle I shall reason and dispute vpon the occasion offered, the rather because this darnel hath taken root, and spred vp farre & wide in sundry vnsound places.

The Pope may er, and hath er­ved in his ma­ners and con­ceits notoriously & that in mat­ters of the Church faith publiquely, yea and that DE­FINITIVE­LIE.To go by degrees in this question: question­les [Page 63] the Pope hath monsterously erred, as Platina & the rest of his own chroniclers, preachers and writers witnesse, in conuersation and manners, and in faith too. And no merueill. For such as is our saith, such are our manners, and saith Iames, such as are our manners, such is our saith. But euer a true faith in things to be beleeued, is the Ioh. 8.39. Iam. 2.18. spring of woorking in euery thing, and the lacke of faith is the want of woorkes. And the de­fect is first in faith, before it can be in the woorke. Their reply is, that Popes in deede priuately may erre in their own faith and manners, but not publikly as Popes indued with the spirit of God. But why tie you the spirit to your selues? We tell them that euen Rom. 3. priuate men are led by the spirit, and so are as free from error as the best, & the best learned Popes. And where they reioine, that priuate men are not to define in matters of faith, we tell them againe, no more are Popes, nor yet Angels. The ground of faith is the word of God, and faith commeth by hearing of that worde. Wherein to make the Popes decretall Epistles equal with the word Distinct. 19, in Canonicis. Gratian hath eui­dently falsified S. Austen de doctrina Christiana lib. 2. cap. 8. and this his abominable forgery, is in the very foundation of faith, and yet is Gratian allowed by the Pope, to wit, by Eugenius, as ap­peareth in the life of Gratian, prefixed before the Decrees, and therefore I may and do conclude that the Pope in sight hath erred in the maine [Page 64] ground and foundation of our faith, in the verie allowing of Gratian. A publicke al­lowāce of a false ground of our faith is a pub­licke error in the faith. And I trow this his allow­ance was no priuate liking, but a publike allow­ing.

Farther we find that, Boniface the eight that For at his entrance, that Lion in his raigne, and Dog at his death, hath Extra, de Ma­ior. & obedient. DEFINED that it was (Omnino) euery way necessary to saluation to be subiect to the Bishop of Rome. Whereupon I reason thus: That which is euery way necessa­ry, was neuer vnnecessary. But Aenaeas Silui­us epist. 288. Ante Nice­num Concilium, &c. Before the Councel of Nice, the Church of Rome was litle respected. Nay in the Anno. 328. Nicene Councell, the Popes messen­gers sate neither in the First, Second, or Third place. And the Councell it selfe was called and summoned Iussu Imperatoris, at the Emperours commaundement. And therein Constantine who indicted the Councell tooke no more vpon him than hee might and ought. Neither was he deligated thereunto by Bishoppely power. For the Euseb. in vita Const. orat. 3. one and onely God appointed him to that ministery. And what the Bishoppes had ouer­throwne, Constantine renued and Theod. lib. 1. cap. 14. built vp. I pray you where was then, and where was al this while that meere necessity vnto saluation to be in subiection to the Romane prelate?

Some good Anno. 198. time before this, when Victor a Bishop of Rome was tampering and ouer-bu­sily intermedling with other mens doings, he [Page 65] was vehemently reproued by Euseb. lib. 5. Ireny in France, and countermaunded by the Bishoppes of Asia, [...] they disswaded him as much as he would haue perswaded others, wherein was no subiection, but a slat resistance, euen as Paul resi­sted Peter. I could be large herein, but I referre them, who would see many good particulers in this case learnedly laid foorth, D. Bilson. to D. BILSON against D. ALLEN and the Iesuits, in his book entieled, A true difference betweene Christian subiection, and vnchristian rebellion, Part. 1.

And, whereas some say, Victors reproofe was in a matter but of discipline, verily discipline and direction in regiment is their God, and whereof they esteem more than of heauen it selfe. Where­fore be it wherein it shalbe, therein certes they were not subiect to the Romish Bishop. And a trueth in doctrine importeth vs much more than a rite in discipline: therefore if they might resist him in discipline, where was then that subiection euery way necessary to saluation? And if hee might erre in discipline, much more may he erre in doctrine. For the decision of reasonable orders, is farre easier, than doubts in doctrine. There­fore if the Pope may so soone stumble in the plain, hee may farre sooner ouer-shout himselfe in a suffer way.

Directly for the Popes erring in doctrine, Lyra in [...]. Matth. Lyra is cleare and full: Many Popes haue bin found to haue bin Apostataes. Many, and not a [Page 66] few onely, haue bin certainly found, not proba­bly thought to haue beene Apostataes. It is no fable, no forgery, they haue bin found, & conuin­ced so to haue bin. But Apostasie is a forsaking of the faith: and euery Apostata is alwaies an eager persecutor of his former faith. And there­fore the Pope may be not only a decider of error, but a persecutor of the faith.

If they aske me what be in speciall the Popes errors, I tel them, he erreth, in hiding the candel of the Scriptures vnder the bushell of a strange language, in praying ignorantly without vnder­standing, in not praying to God alone, in wor­shipping Images, in mangling and deprauing the Sacraments, in preferring himselfe before Gods worde, and aboue his Church, & in a thow­sand mo. And, sirs, why aske you me? Lyra saith your Popes haue bin Apostataes. You may not mistrust his report; he was a Friar, and therefore a credible witnesse and not partially affected but to the Papacy, and therefore the more force-able against you, and the lesse to be suspected of you. You followe him, you Harding detec. Pag. 256. Mast. Harding counteth Lira a good interpreter of the Text, but a slender witnes to depose a trueth. gladly vse him in the opening of a text, & in exposition of Scriptures, why not a great deale rather in his depositions for antiquitie in a matter of story? Or was his outward sense corrupted, and his inward iudge­ment good? Could he not rightly discerne a fact in men, but rather a trueth in the text, and that a­bout things depending on the text, as in questi­ons [Page 67] of faith and Apostasie from the faith? If there were any fault in Lyra, it seemeth to be ra­ther for that in fauour to that see, he toucheth but in general, and treateth not the particularities of your Popes Apostasies.

And yet while the monumēts of times & books of writers before Printing was inuented, were hardily copied out, and were few in number, soon lost, and easily corrupted, and being in your own handes and handling, and your selues ready to make away the euidences which made most a­gainst your Pope, what marueil if Lyra, and Lyraes like be vsed, as Acts. 5.2 Ananias and Saphira vsed their goods, and so authors in steede of their whole and perfect workes brought to light by halfes, maimed and imperfect? And yet God hath so prouided that there should be notwithstanding some, and those sufficient witnesses in popery to conuince their Popes of grieuous errors. But let vs view their dealing a litle in this behalfe. But first be it remembred that Lyra saith, that manie Popes, though he name them not in special, that many Popes haue plaid the Apostataes from the faith, though particularly he citeth not wherein and in what points: yet this is sufficient. For ther is no multitude without a number, no gene­ral number of Popes, without particular Popes. And it may be he ment the whole faith, and there­fore doeth not put downe the specialities. Nowe for farther proofe of their corruptions.

[Page 68] Pope C. Laudabilem de conuersione infidelium. Celestinus decreed an error flat against Saint Paul (that the crime of heresie dissolueth the band of marriage) in so much that Innocen­tius was faine to repeale the same, and decret the contrary. If they aske me now where is that decree? Truly I cannot tell what you haue doone with it. Since yee came to this fine shift, that the Pope could not, forsooth, erre, that pa­ragraph could not be much seene abroade. The gloze saith it was among the Decretals. Lib. 1. aduers. haereses. cap. 4. Al­phonsus de Castro sawe it there in an ould booke, marry (sirs) if you can vse the definitions, decrees, and determinations of your Popes after this fa­shion, and then come and require vs to shew that your Pope hath decreed an error, & that not what we count an error, but what your selues would repute error as wel as we, truely we neede reply no farther, but that iniquity is spunne of a fine threed, and that this is the very mystery of Anti­christ, and that hee departeth from the faith, and yet vnder a most presumptuous pretence that [...] he cannot erre in faith.

When God was most serued almost alone lo­cally in the territory of Iewry, they were perilous & lying words to affixe wisedome, the word & the law to thē that visibly occupied their callings in the Church of god. Ier. 18. And why is it not so much more now when whosoeuer feareth God, Acts. 10. and therefore wheresoeuer god is feared, there, there is no such respect of persons, or places as sometimes was.

[Page 69] For the very Church of Rome, by name Paul warneth to look to her duty, to see to her footing, and putteth downe the condition of her standing: Rom. 11.20. and either in the one of the other, the warning or the condition doth argue, that they are not better than the naturall branches, but that their church may be cut off, if they grow wild: & if they could not grow wild, which is, if they could not er, what neede Paul warne them, or they care for his warning?

If it bee replied, that there may bee error in some members, but not in the head, which is the Pope, this will not serue, Rom. 1.7. for the Apostle writeth to all at Rome without exception, and where the text giueth no cause of distinguishing, why should the gloze distinguish at all? And the errors which Rome is willed to take heede of, are worse than some once defining of an error, for they may finally cut her off. And in the meane time let no man fear, that God wil lacke a Church, though Rome become apostata: that he wil want wine, if she be­come vineger: that hee will not haue a Ierusalem, though Rome bee made a den of Theeues, a nest of vncleane birds, & worse than Babylon it selfe. And how holdeth that argument: the Church shal not bee diuorsed, ergo not Rome? It will not fol­low. For Rome is not the whole Church. But she perhaps is the firt place and the Hierusalem of the Church, Brist. replie to D. Fulke. Cap. 8. Par. 2. as Maister Bristow beareth D. Fulke in hand, and for proofe thereof, hee refer­reth [Page 70] him to the Actes of the Apostles if hee haue anie insight therein. Yes his insight in the whole libraries of God and of men is well knowen at home and abroade, and that to your shame and griefe. And therefore yee neede not like Babish and 2 King. 2 23. Bethlemite skorning and mocking Boyes to fellowe Fulke him and flout him as you doe, but rather stand in aw of him, D. Fulkes books vnanswered. whom ye dare not, certainly haue not aunswered to his aunswers to most of your books. Wel may you mock & moe at him whose hast & pen of a ready writer, yet euer with great iudgement, you can not imitate. But now, at and without your request (Master Bri­stow) D. Fulke hath intentiuely reuiewed often euery leafe and line in the Acts of the Apostles, & findeth you a lying reporter. And how could it be otherwise? For neither is Rome there termed the Churches Ierusalem, neither doth the church nowe require a locall Ierusalem in earth at all. Galath. 4. Whereof more hereafter vpon fitter occasion.

The olde starting-hole from Christs praying for Peter, was personall and vpon imminent fu­ture danger to Peter, and nothing els. Where­fore euen as hee that gathered Manna more than would suffice him, it Exod. 16.20. putrified, and did him no pleasure: so he that wil gather too much of a text, it can serue him to small purpose. And generally our Sauiour prayed for the rest of the Apostles, & by the like reason why should not their successors claime the like immunity of not erring? Nay, our [Page 71] Sauiour prayed for euery beleeuer, Iohn. 17.20. and then by the same reason euery priuate faithfull man is in as good case, as is the Pope.

As for the Popes DEFINITIONS in faith, I shewed before, and say againe (but that he ta­keth vpon him to define, and because that now is made the question) that his Definitions are no­thing, and nothing worth. We haue but one De­fining-Master and Iam. 4.12. Law-giuer, which can teach and controll the hart. Yea euery sere Christian is to try other mens spirits, to try 1 Thes. 5.21. all, and there­fore also to trie and examine the Popes pretended Definitions. And what need they be tried, if they could not erre? If I were sure this golde were pure and perfect and nothing but golde, what need the touchstone? But because the iudgements of men are vncertain, the spiritual man and child of God, iudgeth all thinges because hee can, and trieth them, because he must, & therein is iudged of 1 Cor. 2.15. none, nor preiudiced of any, and therefore not ouer-borne by the Pope, and therefore also not necessarilie subiect to his papall decisions.

Which warrant of Pauls, cleane cam against the haire, the Pope applieth and appropriateth to himselfe, and his Popely iudgement, making it a new necessary article of saluation to be subiect to him, because he (if we beleeue him) is only that spirituall man Extr [...] de maio. & obdient. that iudgeth al, and is iudged of none, specially being once in his consistory, in his court, and in Councell house at Rome, though yet [Page 72] in trueth S. Paul wrate not that sentence to the Romanes, but to the Saints of Achaia & Church of Corynth. Whereupon it may bee notwith­standing a litle suspected least hee may misse the quishien in his definitions, that thus mistaketh Scripture to proue his authority, and pierelesse Soueraignty in his defining.

I know what wilbe and what hath beene an­swered lately in this behalfe: that the Pope may, by your leaue, euen in his consistories and in his decrees faile in the allegation of Scriptures, but neuer in his purpose be alleageth them for. For no fig leafe is broad enough to couer the great­nesse or grossenes of his intolerable allegations, and yet albeit they faile in their proofes conclu­ding, and in the Stapl. de doctr. prin. li. 4. ca. 15. meanes of prouing, yet for the matter they would conclude, their conclusion is cock-sure.

A very strange case. Can a man erre in the meanes to the end, and not erre in the end it selfe? Can a man fail in his foundation, and wil not his building totter? Erre in his proofes, and obtaine his purpose? If the Pope can doe al this, I know not what he cannot do. No doubt he can set-forth at midnight and not wander in darkenesse. Nay, hee can wander in darkenes, and gad and magge quite out of his way, and strait with a trice, when the matter commeth to bee shut vp with a defini­tiue sentence, to a decretall or a rescript iudicial, the man is at home, notwithstanding all his for­mer [Page 73] vagaries in the night before. Is not this good stuffe?

If I mistake not, whether you rescribe or subscribe, there is small difference, & a Popelike rescript or subscript is alike auaileable and au­tentique. Liberius. But Pope Lyberius subscribed to Ar­rianisme, the greatest heresie that euer was, and hee subscribed as Pope, for otherwise Con­stantius would no more haue regarded his pri­uate subscription, than a drop of water among a Sea of subscriptions. Now how distinguish you? what help nowe?

Euen thus: As when we shew that Pope Ho­norius was a monothelite: that is to say, one that denied the two willes of both natures in our Sauiour, you answere, he was so in hart, but out­wardly in his Hard. detect. pag. 254. decisions he was not so: so contra­riwise you tell vs, that Liberius ratified Arria­nisme by his Idem. pa. 250. Subscription and hand-writing, but this was not from his heart, but outwardly for feare.

Say you, for feare? What then? But I pray you, in the meane time were not these iolly-fel­lowes, and constant Popes? The one was rotten at the hart, and had a true hand. The other had an erring hand, but a true hart. And must the hand in the one excuse the hart, and the hart in the other excuse his hand? Alas poore soules in what case were they, that depended vpon either hart or hand of such Popes? Where was Peters faith [Page 74] that neuer faileth in his successors? In the hart of an heretique? Or in the hand of an hireling? His successors hart feared, his successors hand erred, his successors tongue consenteth to error, and the terror of the Emperor and two yeares exile, or as In catalog. Ec. scriptorum. Ierome writeth the Solicitation of Fortunatia­nus a Bishop brought Liberius quite to an other bent. Fregit, it altered him quite and cleane.

Master Harding answereth, Detect. pag. 250. b. Alas this forced subscription argueth the lacke of fortitude, but certanly it proueth not heresie. For an hereticke subbornly defendeth his opinion.

He defined it. Whether he, and how he defen­ded it, whether so or no, I care not, I cannot tell. He did define it, he did promulgate it by his sub­scription so far forth, as his Popely approbation could stretch vnto. This much I alleadge it for, and somuch it clearly proueth. And how could this sorrie, fraile, and fearful reede confirme his bre­thren, who was so infirme and weake in himselfe? And if his brethren, the Bishoppes, Priestes, and Deacons neere Rome in Italy, and the Senate of his Councell should haue holpen him, yet they did not, and if they did what they could, he was the more incurable, and then belike Christ prayed ra­ther for them, than for the Pope. But I feare me the footemen fled where the horsemen fel, and the Lambs quaked, when the bel-wether ran away, and that the Bishops more than yeelded, where the Pope subscribed.

[Page 75] Notwithstanding, what charter, priuiledge or promise hath the assembled consistorie and synod of Rome for not erring more than hath any other? Mat. 18.20. When two or three bee gathered togither (not at Rome, nor designed from Rome) the promise doth hold. And therefore the Romish assemblies are not freed specially, but with the same conditi­ons indifferent to others, though fewer in num­ber, lesse in shewe, and lighter in credit in the opt­nion of the woorld. For fewer than two or three, and withal to make a number, cannot be, and yet vnto two or three gathered togither in the name of Christ, Christ made the promise of his presence, and the assistance of his spirit to comfort them in troubles and to instruct them in doubts, but this must bee alwaies vnderstood to bee in a rateable measure according to the capacities of humane vessels. For men are men euer, euen the best whe­ther single or assembled, and so where they haue to deale in Gods thinges they may admixe some­what of their owne, and so also misse in the mat­ters of their consultation, and therefore councels great or lesse are not euen measures to leuil or li­mit al his causes by.

Euery man knoweth (saith Austine) Lib. 2. contrae Donatist. c. 3. that (of Councels) the prouinciall giue place to the gene­ral, & that the generall councels and plenary are often (not seldom) mended the former by the later. The place it selfe would be repaired vnto, it is ve­rie, very worth the reading, where there is set [Page 76] forth a plaine prerogatiue of the scriptures to be deuoid of error, by waie of opposition to other writings of Bishops or Councels, prouincial or plenarie howsoeuer. My note out of Austine is, that if general Councels might be mended, they might and did erre. For faultes and errors are they, that are to be amended. For wee amend not that which is right, but that which is amisse. The same Aug. contra Maximinum lib. 3. cap. 14. father writing against an Arrian, doth hee bring Scripture, or else the famous Councell of Nice, most famous in condemning Arrianisme? Nay, erratis nescientes scripturas. The cause of er­ror is the ignorance of the scriptures. And there­fore the reformation of that disease was to take awaie the cause. Austine therefore alleadgeth Scripture, and whereas the Arrian might after a sort, and perchance did pretend the Councell of Ariminum for his opinion, Austine doth not call the councel Dete pa. 112. b. a schismatical and an heretical con­uenticle, as Maister Harding doth, but goeth this waie to work: whereas the Nicene councell maketh for mee, and the Ariminum councell for thee (agnizing councel to be against councel) nei­ther ought we to produce, either I the councel of Nice, or you the councel of Ariminum as preiu­dicial (either waie:) neither am I bound to the au­thority of this (the latter,) nor you to that (the former.)

Maister Harding to helpe for ward that which hee would saie, saith that Saint Austen was con­tent [Page 77] (onely) to laie aside his aduantage vpon con­dition, and as it were vpon Ibidem. composition, and that this his present dooing was but for the pre­sent time and occasion: and this hee prooueth be­cause Austine saith: Detect. pa. 113. I will not laie against thee the Nicene Councel, as who would say he could if he would. But he would not for the presēt time. I WIL NOT.

Lord God, it is a world to see the wilfulnes of them that will not see. Austines woorde is not as Maister Harding forceth him to speake, I WIL NOT of choise, but, I OVGHT not of duetie. True, he would doe, what hee did, but it was not in his onely pleasure so to doe for the time. For hee tooke the easiest, the wisest, the surest, and the most necessarie waie. And why doth not Maister Harding english (nec tu debes) thou wil not, as wel as (nec ego de­beo) I will not? Sed nec ego Nicenum, nec tu DEBES, &c. Neither of both OVGHT to al­leage, neither is either of vs BOVND to coun­cels, I to this, or thou to that, as it were with pre­iudice either to other. But let the combate be be­tweene matter and matter, cause and cause, rea­son and reason, by the authority of the scriptures, not by witnesses of whom soeuer proper (to ei­ther) but common to both.

If Saint Austine deuolue all to an equal de­bating of thinges, and to the authoritie of the Scriptures, I see no reason we flie the Scrip­tures. If Austine neither would, as Maister Har­ding maketh him to speak, nor ought as his own woorde is, to stand and to rely vpon councels, as [Page 78] Nec Ego, nec tu detineris. Neither part was bound to be ouerruled by ge­nerall Councels. bound to them, why shuld we? If Austine grant the Ariminum councell to be a generall councell, what is Master Hardings denial therof? Pigghi­us voucheth it was Vniuersale Concilium hand du­bio, there was no controuersie but it was a gene­ral councel. Aduersus Lu­ciferanos. Ierom calleth it the whole woorld, saying of this councell, that the whole woorlde when it perceaued how deceatfully it was sedu­ced, it mourned to see it selfe become an Arrian (vnawares.) And therefore I maruel why Mai­ster Harding should cal it an heretical conuenticle in a corner of the woorld. And howebeit Arria­nism were an heresie of heresies, yet they indirect­ly confirmed it, and being fraudulently circum­uented when they sawe the error, were verie sorit for their offence which they had committed in the simplicitie of their conceat of vnderstanding, that it would be no great matter to relent in a [...]. word, and in fauour of a general peace.

If Detect. Pag. 250 b. force could excuse Liberius, simplicitie in these deserueth softer words. But both by Libe­rius his Yet Platina reporteth that it was vpon re­spect of benefits and fauor. forced subscription, and by this generall councels misconstruing, the capital heresie of Ar­rianisme was much confirmed. And therefore we were best, as Austine aduiseth, to try our matters and causes at the touch-stone of the infallyble word of God, and not at the erryng determyna­tions of Popes or Byshops, eyther sorted by them salues, or seated together, and that of late tymes not so much in a general, as in a Gehennal coun­cell [Page 79] of Pragmaticall Machiuels, deuising howe they may cosen the woorld, and exyle the true and ryght profession of perfit christianity: wherefore they must bee withstood, with courage and bold­nes in the sight of all men as Paul resisted Peter. From whom notwithstanding, verilie as from one man, and not as from a generall Councel of many, the Pope maketh this his impossible and improbable claime of not erring, but how erroni­ously we haue declared. Hier. Ec. l. 6. c. 5 And Pigghius sayeth in the behalfe of the Pope, that there is not a woord in the scriptures properly for general councels.

Paul hauing iustified, and made good his au­thority by sundry proofes, 1. By his immediate calling from God. 2. By his dutifull diligence therein. 3. By his equall conference with the cheefest pillars, 4. And lastly by his iust repro­uing Peter, though he went not with aswift foote from the Gospel, yet because he went not with a right foote in it and toward it, now draweth hap­pily, by this and such like occasion to the chiefest matter and argument handled in this Epistle, [Page 80] & sheweth abundantly that no ceremonious rite, no nor yet (which God more respecteth) can the works of men, iustifie man. And this he declareth by his own example, & by the example of others like himselfe. We, saith he, whome he describeth, 1. by their cōdicion, 2. by their iudgemēt in christ.

1 By condicion (in a worde to say) they were Iewes, & by nature Iewes, that is so born, & so de­scended. Phil. c. 3.5. And elswhere Paul saith of himselfe that he was a Iew, an Hebrue, of the tribe of Benia­min, a zealous fellow once, and a follower of the Law. So were the Iews, so was he, & not sinners of the Gentiles, sinners both by nature, that is, by birth, and by their bringing vp, and so thought of by common reputation, and called by our sauiour very Matt. 15.26. Dogs. Where, by the way I marke two things, 1. the great goodnes of God towarde the Iewes, 2, and their infinit ingratitude towardes him. So that what euer they were by their de­fault, yet by their condicion such they were, & so were esteemed of God, euen as his peculiar peo­ple, but with Psal. 147.20. other nations it was not so.

2 The Apostles and Disciples ouer and be­sides their condicion very good in former time, yet now altered to a better state, were also of a right iudgment in christ, & they knew (we know) they knewe that the truckels & swathing clothes of old ceremonies were for them, but while they were childrē, whom God so tendered & kept for a time, & to that end that those ceremonies might [Page 81] be meanes the rather to lead them to Christ, and not that they should be iustified in them, or in any thing else that they did or could doe.

I cannot say, as our Sauiour said to Nico­demus, Iohn. 3.10. Are you Masters in Israel, and know not these thinges? I know you know them: yet giue mee leaue a little that all may learne that which most of you know. Neither is there any knowe­ledge in al the woorld like to this. Wherefore the repetition thereof cannot be vngrateful.

An enquiry how man maie be Iustified be­fore the iudge­ment seat of God.A time shal come, and a doome must be, and a day is a ppointed when all flesh shall appeare and hold vp hand (as it were) & answere: guilty or not guilty, before the tribunal seat of God, that seeth the heart, and searcheth the raines. Heere in this plea of Iustice is required, thou bee neither ac­cessory, nor principall to the least breach of the Law, if thou wilt liue and be iustified, and be quit thereby. Luk. 10.18. Hoc fac & viues. Doe this and liue. Doe not this, thou canst not liue. Or doe what thou wilt if thou dost not this, if thou dost not the Law, only and wholy that, it wil be thy vndoing, thou canst not liue, leaning to the Law, and mea­ning to be iustified thereby.

Iob. 9.28.At the very remembrance hereof holy Iob wil feare his workes, as nothing more, and Dauid in remorse of his owne either secret sinnes or open faults and in consideration of the frailty of al flesh trembleth and saieth: Psa. 130.3. If thou, ô Lord, marke what is done amisse, who shal abide it? Who [Page 82] shal stand in iudgement, and sustaine thy wrath? Whereupon I reason and make this reckoning: If Iob the iust man feared, if Dauid a man accor­ding to Gods owne hart trembled at this triall, alas, what shal others doe? If the strong soldier feare and flye, what shall become of the weake, the same, the blind? What shal become of the vt­terly impotent? If the wind blowe away the so­lid wheat, where shal the chaffe rest? O Lord who is he, or where is his dwelling, that we may goe to him, and common with him, and heare a man that can saie, and faie in truth, my hart is cleane? And if the heart be not cleane, how vncleane are the hands? If the spring be corrupt, how polluted are the riuers? Who in the woorld, who one can answere one for a thousand? And hee that aun­swereth not all, aunswereth not one. In manie things (saith Saint Iam. 3.2. Iames) we offend al. And in including all, hee excludeth none, and the Scripture hath expresly Rom. 3.9. Galath. 3.22. concluded all vnder sinne. If then all be concluded vnder sinne, if al offend, and that in many thinges, and if hee that offendeth in any, offendeth in al, in what case are we al? How can we be iustified by the Law?

These thinges touch vs neerely, and concerne vs much. What Vrim and Thummim may wee consult in this case? Esa. 46. Repaire wee to the Lord in the and six fourtith Chapter of Esay, who resol­ueth vs on this wise: Heare me yee stubburne harted that are farre from Iustice. As if it were [Page 83] said, if any of you presume in pride, or precend in hypocrisie of much iustice, you are ouer-bold, you are deceaued, and you cannot deceaue God. It is a pride and a pretence of righteousnesse, from whence in verie deede you are farre wide. Heare mee, harken not to your selues, to your selfe-wit and ouer-weening. I will bring neere my righteousnesse, neither shall your iniquitie frustrate or make vaine my promises, or seque­ster my purposed mercy from my elect amongst you, and from my church vnto whom I wil shew mercy. I wil giue my saluation in Sion and my glory in Israel.

Then I aske, wil Israel be glorified, wil Sion bee saued, will man bee iustified, will hypocrisie speake truely, wil stubburne hearts bee mollified, and frowarde mindes rectified? Then harken what God saith: Glory, Saluation, Righteous­nesse, and Iustification, the acceptation of vs as iust, yea of vs very impious and Atheists by na­ture, is Gods only grace and free gift. A vanting and a vilde spirite is onely in man, who naturally hath but a sorry, a naughty, and a sleight conceat of the mercy of the father, and of the infinit merit of Christ his sonne.

Come wee home to our Apostle: Wee knowe that man is not iustified by the woorkes of the Lawe, but by faith. It is not an opinion, Opinio est entis, & non entis. Opinion is of thinges that may be so, or may bee no. But wee know saieth [Page 84] Paul. And whereas there are but two waies to bee quit, either plea of our owne innocency, or help and trust else-where to be iustified, wee must leane either to the one or to the other, either perfourning the Lawe which no man can, or embracing Christ, onely relying in him by faith, by onely faith in Christ. If it be quarreled why cannot man bee yet iustified by the Lawe, what should bee the cause thereof? It is An ineuitable reason why Man cannot possiblie iustified by the Law. aunswered by Paul flat: al men are flesh. But why cannot flesh? Why? Al flesh is fleshly. al fleshe is grasse, euen the very grace thereof. And what is hey and stubble to saue a man? Esay. 4.6. And the grace there­of is but as the flower. Some flowres are green, yellow, red, stammel, purple, or white &c. These are but gay coulers, and what are these before the face of the winde, in the heate of the Sunne, and in the sight of God? Wherefore flesh and bloode may not, cannot, dare not, should not pro­sume to appeare, where it can stand, in iudge­ment, before the consistory of our God, in the strength of it selfe, and without our aduocate. Nay the heauens are not cleare in his eies, nor the very Angels, and celestiall spirites, much lesse man, who dwelleth in an house of cley, and in a body subiect to the soile of sinne, who drinketh in iniquity as a drie ground doth a rainey water. Wherefore by the Workes are imperfect & be­ing as perfect as they may be, they beno deserts but dueties. Christ is our righteous­nes at the right hand of his father. woorkes of the Lawe per­fourmed by man by his fleshly arme and strength wee euen the regenerate, wee bee not, we cannot [Page 85] bee iustified, Saint Paul knoweth and acknow­ledgeth that by faith in Christ, and that by Christ alone in whom wee beleeue, we bee pronounced in him to bee that wee are not, nor can bee of our selues, nor in our selues. So that heere is guilty and not guilty, righteous and not righteous. Not righteous but guilty, by the Lawe, by woorkes, by nature, and in our selues: but in Christ who is made our wisedome, righteousnes, sanctifi­cation and redemption we haue al that wee haue, and in him, who hath payd all for vs, wee haue al and enough. And this knowledge, brethren, being thoroughly learned, perfectly beleeued, and fully setled in a sanctified soule, most honoureth God, and comforteth man aboue al thinges that can be named.

Vpon the former matters premised, Paul may seeme to argue thus: if while wee seeking (which was graunted on euery side) to bee made righ­teous by Christ, yet wee bee found notwithstan­ding sinners (by relying to the Lawe which the false Apostles woulde haue annexed) is Christ therefore become the Minister of sinne, which must needes bee if he bee coupled with the Law? Phy, out vpon [...], it were most absurd, it cannot be, and God forbid. Christ and the Law cannot make one fa­bricke or building. If any man should build vp the Iericho, which hee had destroied and was accursed, were hee not to bee accursed? If Paul shoulde builde vp the Lawe, which accurseth, though it were with the coupling of Christ, in the building, yet should hee shewe himselfe to bee a transgressor, in setting vp of the Lawe with Christ, which two to stand together were vt­terly impossible. For to that end entered Christ, that the Lawe might cease. To that ende Paul exemplyfieng in himselfe, voucheth, he was dead to the Lawe, and therefore had not to doe with the Lawe at all, was crucified with Christ and fixed to Christ, and vnto Christ alone.

Iustification by acceptation or imputation ex­cludeth not a measure of inhe­rent sanctifica­tion. And dying to the curse of the Law, shut­teth not out good liuing ac­cording to the rule of the Law.And yet least Paul being dead from the Lawe and crucified with Christ, might seeme by this doctrine in himselfe to bee an ensample of dying vnto God, and liuing to the world. vers. 20. hee saith, But I liue: and because no man should [Page 87] mistake him, hee sheweth 1. in what measure of goodnes he liueth, as he might, in the flesh, and 2. withall sheweth how it came to passe that in the flesh he might liue, saying that he liueth by Christ and thorough faith in him. In him who hath loued me, and giuen himselfe for me. Where­upon I note 1. the freenesse of the giuer, 2. the preciousnesse of the gift, 3. the certaintie in re­ceauing, 4. and the neede of the receauer. 1. The freenesse of the giuer. For what is freer than gift? And then a gift proceeding of loue? Which lo­ued me. 2. For the preciousnes of the gift, what can bee more precious than the Sonne of God, & the heire of al? Hee gaue himselfe. 3. The cer­tainty of receauing is vttered in the specialitie of speaking, for mee. But O blessed Paul, what meane these Christ is not re­ceaued in a ge­neral conceat, but by a special applying. enclosures? Why? Is Christ (thy) Christ? Is hee (thy) Sauiour? And is hee not rather the Sauiour of the world? That which is thine, is none of mine. Is it not so? In world­ly thinges true, the right and propriety is in the true owner onely, and in him alone, and in none other. In spirituall rightes it is not so altoge­ther. Christ is the Christ of all in generall, and in speciall too, yet not a diuided Christ, but whole and entire whosoeuer hee is. In natural thinges see a resemblance hereof: the Sunne in the aire is a generall light, in the eye a speciall; and the sound in the ayre a generall noyce, yet seerely discerned in the eare: so Christ is a general Sa­uiour [Page 88] of all that shall bee saued, but specially is hee receaued, discerned, and applied by the eye of faieth, which faieth commeth by hearing him generally deliuered, but specially applied. As take, eate, take, drinke, at the Lordes Sup­per, feede on him by thy faieth. And blessings so speciallie and certainely taken haue euer a quicker tast in the receauer, and prouoke there­by the more thankefulnesse towarde the donor. 4. The neede of the receauer appeareth in this, The price of the ransom doth proue the neede of the party and the hainousnes of his trespas, who is to bee ransommed. that if a lesse ransom, would haue doone the deed, so great a payment had not needed. But somuch it cost to saue one Soule. And whereas hee saith, Christ gaue himselfe (For me) it is plaine in how harde a case hee was before, that Christ must dy that wee may liue, or else wee dy, euen as the Ramme was Sacrificed, that Isaake might bee saued. Wherefore of his perfect mercy and for our pure neede, Christ dyed for thee, for me, and for vs al.

Why Christians die, though Christ died for them.It is but an easie demaunde, and soone satis­fied, why I must dye, though Christ died for mee. Yet God doubtlesse requireth no double satis­faction, hee desireth not to bee twise paied for one debt. Notwithstanding, nothing is more certaine than that death is the common and vne­uitable Lodge and Receptacle of the liuing. The Wiseman shall dye as wel as shal the Foole. Da­uid when he had Acts. 13.36. serued his time, was reposed to his Fathers, and the statute is generall and can­not [Page 89] not be dispensed with, al must dye. By sin Rom. 5.12. came in death, and as sinne is in al, so must all dy. If there had beene no sinne, there shoulde haue beene no death nor dissolution, no not of our mixt bo­dies, no more than there shall be of the very same bodies after their restitution & glorification. By sinne death entered, and must goe ouer all. But the question is, why wee dye, whom Christ hath deliuered both from sinne the cause, and from death the consequent of sinne.

As we are deliuered from sinne, not that it bee not, but that it sting not: so are wee deliuered from death, not that it come not, but that it con­quer not, that it lead vs not in a triumph. ô death where is thy sting? The sting of death is sinne, but sinne is doone away, and therefore ô graue where is thy victory? Death is no Death to a good Christian. Thou takest holde of vs, not because wee are stung to death, but because of a natural necessity indeede inducted thorough sinne at first, yet for that the guilt of sinne is ta­ken away, death is no right death nowe, but a dissolution, and a passage to a better life, and a very instrument, whereby mortality putteth on immortality, and whereby we liue for euer. And the assurance of our certaine departure hence, is hence-foorth a noble monument of the weight of sinne, to weane vs from sinning, and to win vs to Christ in perpetual thankefulnes, for that we are freed from the curse of the Lawe, against sinne, from the guilt of sinne in it selfe, and from the [Page 90] danger of death for sinning, and all this by his in­finit desert in dying for vs, that otherwise should haue died a death euerlasting. This grace would not bee abrogated. I abrogate not the grace of God, this grace of his Gospell.

Steuen Gardiner. Steuen Gardiner in King Edwards time whē he stood much, but falsly vpon his innocency, and would not yeelde that hee had offended, yet at length, being asked whether he would accept the Kings pardon or no; nay saith he, I am learned enough not to refuse the Kings pardon. In like manner men may dally and play, and vse figge leaues at pleasure, truly the greatest wisedome in the end will be to renounce all, and craue mercy, and stand vpon pardon, and to trust vnto Christ, and onely in him. Grace is reie­cted when works are annexed. And for a good fare-well and end of this Chapter, be it remembred and written in the hartes of humble men for euer, that wee after the example of our Apostle, we disanull not, we reiect not, we frustrate not, we abrogate not, we throwe not away the grace of God, which ne­cessarily ensueth by meashing or adnexing either the association of Ceremonies, or the obser­uation of the Lawe vnto his free, and ab­solutely free Grace, free in GOD though deserued by Christ, our Iesus and onely Sauiour.

CHAP. III.

O YEE foolish, be­witched, and disobedient or incredulous Galathi­ans. These are vehement speeches. But this vehe­mency proceeded of great zeale, and this zeale for them was grounded vp­pon many reasons: 1. Christ was described be­fore their face, and crucified in their sight. 2. They had receiued the spirit, and the graces of the holie Ghost; not by the deeds of the Law, for they were [Page 92] Gentils, but by the Ghospel preached vnto them. And the Law in comparison is flesh and grosse, the Ghospel is spirituall. Should they beginne with the better, and relaps to the worse? Be entred and beginne in the spirit, and end, and be finished, and seeke to be perfected in the flesh? 3. They had en­dured many an hard brunt, for the Ghospell, and should they nowe frustrate all their sufferings? 4. Hee that ministred vnto them, and confirmed his ministery with miracles, that is, Paul, had not so taught them the Ghospel. These respects made him vehement and very earnest. In the whole, I beholde foure principall matters. 1. The procli­uity and readinesse of man to be seduced. 2. The duty of the preacher in such a case. 3. The condici­on of the Lawe. 4. The dignity of the Ghospell.

Mans nature is foolish and fro­ward, prone to e­uil, and obsti­nate in sinne.1 Man by nature hath a vagary disposition, drawen from his mothers wombe. Euen as birds are caught with a whissell, and fish with a bait, so open but a gap, he (a disorderly thing) will desire no more. Once perswade man that the euill hee doeth is good, set but a glosse vpon the errors wherein he delighted, and hee is caried with full sailes. And a foole will be a foole, and think him­selfe marueilous wise.

Euil entents are neuer without faire pretenses.Sathan hath gay helpes and shewes to further this folly, The Ostrige hath as many feathers as the Hauke. These Galathians were not only in­wardly fooles, but externally bewitched. There is a bodily, and there is a spirituall bewitching. [Page 93] Of the former more in the fifth Chapter follow­ing. The spiritual bewitching, is ment here. they say, children are soonest bewitched; we aer ouer­childish in Gods matters, and therefore the sooner deceiued, especially if the deceiuer bee his crafts-master. A fine flatterer wilbee more in the bookes of a foole; than a perfect friend. To the weake eie the clearest and the truest light is most offensiue, & to the sick of an ague, the best drinke is worst: and as to children, and vnto weomen with-childe vn­timely fruite, or vnholsome foode seemeth better, than better meate, so wee see it in Adam, and in Adams children being in an ague and distempred with his fall, & (as it were) with-child with their own fancies: affection misleadeth them, and folly maketh vs prone to euery inconuenience, and in this sinister conceit, and ouer-weening were the Galathians deceiued. And it being put in their heads that Gods Lawe would doe very wel with Christs Ghospell, and that woorkes iointly with faith would the rather iustifie & saue, than faith in Christ alone, they were caried headlong into that most pernicious error, & so become, 1. fools in their vnderstanding, 2. Bewitched in opinion, 3. And disobedient to the faith, cleane contrary to their education and training vp, contrary to their owne conuersation in the Gospel, contrary to their for­mer sufferings not at al, for the Law, but only for the faith in Christ alone. Was this no folly?

They whoe had indured many stormes and [Page 94] dangers euery way only for Christ, thus wilfully at the hauen where they should ariue, to cast away themselues? Except they were bewitched and out of their wittes, they could not possibly bee so, so disobedient, to fall from their spirituall comfort, and to become as grosse as the old Iewes for their ceremonies, & worse than the Iewes as to dreame that any workes could saue, either without or yet with Christ, as to that purpose.

Workes are duties to be doone, but when wee haue doone al, it is Christ that saueth: and workes do not iustifie. That is a fleshly, a grosse & a foolish imagination. There is no spirit, no spiritual wise­dome in it, and marke, marke with an attentiue eare, and with an intentiue eie what Saint Paul auerreth and saith, that they were fooles not to end as they beganne, beginning as they did, in Christ.

The diuision of A first and A second iustifica­tion is a fooles deuise in Saint Pauls iudge­ment.Our Papists tell vs of a first Iustification and of a second Iustification; the first free in Christ, the second merited by workes. Paul telleth them they are fooles, they must end as they began if they wil be saued. Christ only saueth, onely iustifi­eth, when? At first. And why not at last? Will ye beginne with Christ, and end in your selues? The author and finisher of our saluation is our Saui­our, and the end is greater than the entrance, and hee that giueth vs grace to bee iustified in this world, hee only giueth vs also the glory of our sal­uation in the world to come. Are ye bewitched, [Page 95] and will yee bee fooles, charme the charmer ne­uer so cunningly?

Paul giueth vs a faire president and pattern to woorke by, both, 1. In the manner of his dealing with the Galathians, 2. And also in his Doctrine he treated to them. 1. A leperous tongue, a fluxe of a foule mouth must bee stopped, a rauing Dogge must be more than musled, the Or that goreth all that commeth in his way must be killed.

I deny not strong wine is good, but least it fume in the head, delay it with water, it will bee better. Zeale is requisite, and he that hateth a rea­lous Preacher, is an enemy to his soule, & a frind to his sinnes: but zeale tempered with charity and discretion is the true zeale, a A fire of Iuni­per coales, is [...], a zeale vngrate­full, and not to be liked. scalding zeale and a scorching heate is not the fiar that worketh effec­tually, and separateth things of dissimular and di­uers natures, and vniteth men of similar and like condicion, rightly and truely together: I graunt if Paul had beene a cold frost, hee might haue let all alone, and suffer to freese together Lawe & Ghos­pell, Moses and Christ, faith and workes, the flesh and the spirite, as wee see in the A cold reproofe is vnprofitable and rather free­seth men in the dregs of sinne, than otherwise. frost stickes and stones and myre & such like matters of different & dislike natures to stick & freeze togither. No, Paul was zealous to barke against sin, and withal, dis­creet, to do it with intent to recal sinners, to win, and not to sting their persons.

The Mastiffe is not driuen away with a frag­ment, nor errors with fawning looks & flattering [Page 96] wordes. If a man touch a nettle crisily it stingeth the sooner. Paul taketh them vp in termes as be­fore, ô ye foolish, &c. Yet with a meaning to a­mend them, & not with a trumping mind, which is too too bad in any case in any man to be-foole men as many doe, and which is condemned by our Mat. 5. Sauiour.

The purpose of the reprouer doth make much in the manner of reprouing.The end in our actions doth distinguish our doings, and the purpose in our wordes doth put & make the difference in our sayings. Saint Pauls drift was to reforme them, to restore them, to re­call and reclaime them to their first estate, he was the salt of the earth to season them with sharpnes, and not the gall of the earth to greeue them with bitter speech. And demanding whether all their former pains and his preaching should thus come iust to nothing, and be in vaine, he qualifieth dis­creetly, and with a good affectionate correction that saying with this addition (If yet in vain.) He seeth the worst, which was very bad, & therefore reproueth them worthily: notwithstanding decla­ring his intent, & harts desire, hee hopeth the best, and wisheth that his labour and their good begin­nings might not be as water spilt to no purpose, and to no profite: but all in vaine.

When the patient is past hope, the Physician wil neuer tarry: but while hee applieth Physicke, the sicke man may recouer. The Galathians were farre gone, euen like sicke-men when they katch after motes in the aire, which is a very euil signe: [Page 97] so they catching after ceremonies, thinges which now were lesse worth than motes, their case was hard. Howbeit Paul in tender loue, discreet zeal, & charitable hope, leaueth them not in their extre­mities. And desireth to ransom and redeeme if it were but a tip of an eare, or a top of a toe out of the iawes of their cruel deceauers.

2 The doctrine hee taught them is euident, what it was by their default. For if they defaul­ted by adiecting to the Gospel, which could suffer no addition, then the simplicity of the Gospel was the single truth which they disobeied, ô ye foolish Galathians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth? Therefore he taught them the truth. He taught them neither wine, nor weomen, I meane, neither the fancies of mans braine, nor the lusts of mans hart, but the truth of God, which was the verity of the Gospel, which also was the truth in regarde of former figures and types. Ioh. 1.17. The Lawe was giuen by Moses: but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ. Where­fore it was a vanity to preach other things, and a vae and a vengeance hung ouer their heads that durst venter farder, or would not go so far, as not to betake them to their vnder-taken taske of preaching the Gospel.

To preach and speake is one thing, and to preach the Gospel is another thing. Except the Trumpet be blowen with the breath of the Lord, it giueth an vncertaine sound or a false alarum. [Page 98] The sum of the Gospel is Christ, and him crucifi­ed. Paul painted this doctrine among the Gala­thians, and Christ was euen crucified by him a­mong them. Yet he was not one of them that put Christ to death, neither died our Sauior in Gala­tia, but in mount Caluery in Iury. Paul painted out Christ, not with th [...] [...]encil, but [...] is said (Sed carmina maior imago) So Pauls prea­ching, & Pauls writing was Pauls painting. And he painted Christ among them, yet was he no image-maker, no Painter, no Goold-smith to make Crucifixes, no Carpenter to frame Roods, this was a verbal Painting, but yet a liuely description of Christ, & that according to our sauiours own prescript di­rection. Go & preach. Not goe & paint me out.

The contents of the Gospel sum­marily cited, and speciallie reckoned vp. As in one woorde summarily the argument of the Gospell is Christ, so (in some fewe woordes to saie a little more amply) the Gospell containeth the glad yeare, the acceptable time, the ioyfull ti­dinges, that is, the birth, the life, the death of christ Iesus. The mystery of his incarnation, the innocency of his life, the agony of his death. The grace of his woordes, the power of his woorking, the merit of his crosse, his mighty resurrection, his glorious ascension, his session at the right hand with the father. The glory of Israel, the ioy of the Gentiles, the Sauiour of the woorld. The promised seede, the expectation of the faithful. The anoynted of God to be the Prophet of truth, the sacrifice for sinne, and the king of his choosen. 3. My third note, If we looke to the Law, we shal find the first draft of this painting, to bee a grosse, a fleshly, a rawer kinde of knowledge fit for such a [Page 99] people, til the fulnesse of time when nowe God would not distill by droppes as before, but poure downe in plenteous sort his spirite vpon al fleshe. 4. Wherein was, and is my fourth note of the prerogatiue and dignity of the gospel.

But reuert wee to my second note, whereon I rest for this present: this gospel, and those thinges in the Gospell and many moe of like nature, and of like inestimable price were the matter of Pauls preaching, and that as by one man came death and a passibility of and a pronenes to corruption in a guilt both of the first and second death: so by one, and therefore by nothing else came very life, euen life euerlasting, and not as our aduersaries say, a new ability forsooth to liue, so that wee our selues will purchase saluation by woorking and desertes of our owne. Paul did not so teach Christ.

Num. 21.As the children of Israell iourneyed towarde the promised Land, many of them waxed weary, wayward, and wanton, and their soule lothed the bread of heauen as a wearish and a waterish foode without rellish, they murmured against God and against Moises. Wherefore the Lord sent fierie stinging Serpentes among them, and had not Moises prayed, and had not the Lord taken com­passion on them by a brazen Serpent to bee erec­ted whereon they shoulde looke that they might bee recured, there was no remedy but death.

Appliably to speake (for this story was but a [Page 100] figure of Christ.) The brazen serpent a tipe of Christ vpon his crosse. In the wildernes of this world what Dragon more fierse than sinne? What Ser­pent so fieris as Sathan? Who so is strung here­by, is enflamed to death in euerlasting flames. Notwithstanding it hath pleased God to pres­cribe a perfect and a soueraigne help.

That Serpent was erected, so was Christ ex­alted on the crosse, hee was crucified on the tree. And stil is (as it were) crucified before our eies by preaching him crucified: and in the beholding thereof is health and saluation. And wee may sate in faith, that Luk. 2.30. Simeon said, when hee sawe our Sauiour in the flesh: Mine eyes haue seene and doe see my saluation. So effectually the prea­cher painteth foorth Christ in precious colours. And when I heare what he preacheth, by hearing commeth my faith, and my faith is fixed in Christ who is onely and alone preached, to be A IESVS, to bee that Serpent, and to bee A SAVIOVR. This was the duetie, which Paul discharged. And euen as the Mat. 2.9. Star that stoode right ouer the place where Christ was borne, so Paul perpendi­cularly and directly standeth vpon Christ, vpon his natiuity, and vpon the rest of his life, but the The chiefest argument of al our sermons, is, Christ Iesus on his crosse. death of the crosse was a chiefe action signifi­cantly shewing what we eternally deserued, and should haue felt, if hee had not died. And therefore he painted that out most. Gen. 30.37 And as Iacob when hee would haue the Ewes to yeene speckled Lambs, stript wands & made and laid them of a party co­lour [Page 101] before the eies of the Ewes when they came to the watering trowes where they vsually were wont to engender, that they might conceaue and bring foorth accordinglie: Christ is our sa­uiour, workes are but the due­ties of Christian men saued by Christ, and no sauiours of themselues. euen so when men come to the wateringes of life, when you repaire to our Lectures, Readinges and Sermons, THE CHIEFE CONCEAT we wold imprint in your mindes is Christ, and Christ as your onely Saui­our, and your Christian woorkes we teach not as Sauiours, but as fruites and signes of a saued people. So we preach, and so we teach, and so did Paul and all the Apostles and Scriptures before vs.

The imitation of Paul in the matter of his teaching is necessary and pertinent to all, but Paul putteth them also in minde that he wrought miracles amongest them which was proper to that time. The motiue from miracles. And therefore we maruel to heare our aduersaries to make anie motion and demaund for miracles, specially in the waine of the woorld. For wil you heare?

Miracles are not all true, which you obtrude, nor to a good end. Many are but pipt nuts, illusi­ons either of false men, or of lying spirits, as that images should light their owne candles, that the Roode of Naples shoulde giue the Schoole-men high thankes for deuising and distinguishing how they should bee proportionably and duely wor­shipped, a very gewgaw in diuinitie, and as true a miracle, and to as good a purpose, as are the [Page 102] rest of your Legendary woonders.

Againe, Miracles are not for all men. Mat. 12. A fro­warde and a peruerse Nation asketh for signes. Signes and Miracles are for 1 Cor. 14. infidels, and not for beleeuers.

Ezechias in his sicknes, & Gedeon as it were in his nonage asked and had signes. But these were either willed so to doe, or extraordinarilie moued thereunto.

True, wee must neither aske signes vnoffered at all, nor refuse them if they bee offered of God. But doe they forgette that they are Christians? This motiue doeth argue them of incredulitie. Paul commeth not now againe to the Galathians with new signes and miracles, hee onely remem­breth them what hee did at first. Young plantes newly planted may bee watered. But Christiani­tie is nowe of a good grouth. The watering by Miracles, and by extraordinarie meanes hath ceased ordinarily to bee, long since. The waies to know the truth, & true professors, are no bipathes now.

I doe but reason: he that can and list to reade a most famous place for this question, let him re­sort to Chrysostom euery where, but speciallie homil. 49. In Matth. And likewise to Austen, De vnitate Eccl. cap. 19. To whom also he seemeth a prodigious wonder, that seeketh wonders to con­firme his faith Aug. de ciuit. Dei lib. 22. c. 8. The truth of doctrine doth distinguish mi­racles, but mi­racles must not carie vs from true doctrine. yet. (At these daies.)

And I pray you (yee Miracle-mongers) what [Page 103] will yee doe with your Miracles? Suppose yee could work wonders. For the time and questions sake be it graunted you. What then? You by your Miracles would admixt your viid sweat to our Sauiours sacred bloode, your pilgrimages, your wil-seruice, your woorkes, your deedes, your pre­tensed desertes, your wicked liues to his precious death. Is this the Gospell? Could Saint Pauls Miracles confirme the simplicitie of beleeuing stedfastly in Christ, and shal your miracles (think you) force vs to a compound obiect and marke for our faith to looke on?

Whether God speak, or howsoeuer he worke, hee is neuer contrarie to himselfe, and therefore your Miracles that thus crosse his woorde, they are not of God, wee cannot follow you by them, we care neither for you nor for them in that res­pect. Signes though true, yet without the woord are litle, but Deut. 13. miracles thwarting his word are lies or monsters, and wee abhor them. And talke you at pleasure of beleeuing by your miracles. If you beleeue not the Scriptures, you will not be­leeue if an Angell should come from heauen, or a Luk. 16.31. dead man from his graue. Hee that refuseth or­dinary foode in Canaan, hee that will not bee in­structed by the woorde taught by Preachers in Schooles and Vniuersities, and in other places, but first learned by long endeuour, great labour and study, if hee were extraordinarily fedde with manna immediatlie from heauen, hee woulde [Page 104] grudge and murmur and repine no lesse, there is no question.

To conclude al that I haue said, is: that 1. mi­racles are neither al good, 2. nor for all persons, 3. nor for al times. 4. wee haue the olde miracles, with the trueth, and we neede no new. 5. you false­ly and profanely pretend newe, to ouerthrow the olde. And so much for the motiue of miracles, ma­king most and altogither against your selues.

The false Apostles, & Pharisaical enchanters opposed two maine helps, as they dreamt, great­ly furthering their commixing of Christ with Moses: To wit. 1. the priuilege of the flesh, 2. and the worthines of their works.

Paul refuseth both. And to make the matter more manifest and plaine, 1. first of al hee depain­teth out the cause liuely before their eies by the fairest and most famous example of auncient me­mory, namely of Abraham. Abraham beleeued, and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes. [Page 105] Abraham did as many good woorks, as the best. But he beleeued not in his works, but in God the woorker of his saluation.

Abrahams faith manifold­ly proued to the vtmost.This beleefe brought him from Caldea, from his fathers house, from his natiue countrie and dear kindred. In this beleefe he came into Cana­an, & not rested there, but walked through it, and beeing constrained by famine, went into Egypt: and thorough beleefe by occasion of grombling and churlish seruants hee sustained the departure of Loth, euen the losse and cutting off as it were his right arme, as likewise he tolerated, as hee might, the strife and brables of Sara and Agar in his owne bozom. And for a great time the bar­rennes of Sara whom he most loued was no doubt a worme and a griefe of al griefes at his hart, but by faith he ouercame such naturall passions, and when God willed him to number the starres if he could, and said, Euen so shal thy feede be, Abra­ham beleeued, and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse, in that hee trusted in the promise and beleeued vnder hope against hope (in mans eye) but he beleeued strongly and constantly, he staggered not at the matter, neither conside­red his owne deade bodie, nor his wiues dead wombe, being most assured that hee that is al­mighty, might, and that God, who had spoken the word, would doe it indeede. Rom. 3.3. And therefore (saith Paul to the Romans) it was imputed to him for righteousnes.

[Page 106] And yet farther when this promise was per­fourmed to proue Abrahams beleefe, and to set it on the tenters, and to try whether it would hold out or no, and whether it were a firme, a true faith and a sure, God willeth Abraham that he should offer and sacrifice vp his onely sonne which was now newe borne vnto him, according to the pro­mise.

Abraham the next Gen. 22.3. morning without farther delay prepareth al thinges, and taketh the paines to go a iourney, and vndertaketh readily to sacri­fice his Sonne in a mountaine some waie distant off.

What? Was Abraham the man who is ter­med [...]? Was he without fatherly kindnesse? Were the bowels of naturall compassion estran­ged from him! Was hee crueller than Dragons, and worse than the Ostrige, that but Iob. 39.18. forgetteth hir kind? Or would God depriue him of wisdom, & deuoid him of common vnderstanding? What God entended (viz. to proue Abraham) was said before.

When Iepthe was to sacrifice his daughter, and as some think, not to kil her, yet he Iepthe. rent his clothes, and was sore troubled. Ieremie. When Ieremie saw what befel the people whom he neuer begate, notwithstanding his belly, his belly, his inwarde partes throbbed and yairned, and his eies were ful of tears. Dauid. DauidWhen was enformed of Ab­solons death, he blubbreth and crieth: Absolon, [Page 107] Absolon, O my sonne Absolon. Yet was Abso­lon an vngracious imp, and a rebellious child.

Isaack, Isaack, O my sonne Isaack. Why doth not Abraham vtter some such tender words? For the Father to kill his owne and onely Sonne, in the fathers extreme age, and in the childes en­trance into the woorld, and with his owne hand, and without all reason apparent to the woorld, is more than euer was read or heard of besides. He Gen. 23.2. lamented greatly for the death of his wife Sara, Isaackes mother, and doth hee seeme to laffe at, or to be so careles for the murder of his and her son? Or did he not loue him for some secret respect?

Loue him? He loued Isaack most dearely, as appeareth by his will and Gen. 25.5. testament, hee loued him as the last pleadge of his and Saraes old age, as the comfort and ioy of his heart, as the delight of his eies, as the very light and life of his life, and as the gift of God to be the Original of him that should come after, whose daies afore hand Iohan. 8.56. Where God is the commander there is no rea­soning about the comman­dement. hee saw, and in whom he knewe all nations should be blessed, and yet because God had commaunded, without farther inquirie of the causes of Gods mandat, he yeeldeth ful obedience, being certain­ly confident in his olde and constant faith, that God for al this would bee as good as his woorde, and that if neede were, out of the very cinders and ashes of Isaack he could raise vp a new Isaack, as it were a Phoenix as good as the first. For he that gaue him one Isaack beside the possibilitie of na­ture, [Page 801] could giue him another beyond the probabi­lity of mans coniecture, and therefore he ment e­uen with a good wil to giue Isaack to God whose hee was, and willingly acknowledging that all was Gods, he doth as he doth in a firme faith and a sound beliefe. And thereby Abrahams faith was the better prooued, and gods promise neuer the lesse established, by whose prouidence Isaack was deliuered, and a Ram substituted, and this is to be knowen for euer, what God requireth of man, namely a thorough, and resolute trust in him, and in nothing beside him.

Abrahams Faith is not on­ly his special Faith, but a principal pat­terne to al the faithful.For the case is a document to the woorld, and not onely a priuat matter, and a singular occur­rent, I meane for the imitation of Abrahams great faith. And therefore he is called the father of the faithful, and an ensample of faith. Now to come to Saint Pauls purpose.

As the father obtained righteousnes so do his children, as the roote liueth so doe the braunches. The way to heauen is one and the same that it was, and is alike to all that was to him. Abra­ham became a father of many nations. But was this spoken because hee begate them? No. Abrahams fa­therhood is not from his flesh, but according to his faith. For why is it sayd OF MANY, but because there were moe to enioy the blessing, than euer came lineally from his loynes? Abrahams fatherhoode is spiritual. If it were a fleshly prerogatiue, why should not Ismael make claime as wel as Isaack, Esau as Iacob, Saul as Dauid? &c. The Gentils [Page 109] receauing in beleefe the promised blessing, are made the children of Abraham not descending from his raines, but indued with his faith and be­liefe. This is clearly Pauls doctrine. Then if the flesh cannot help, can yet the works of the Lawe? No neither.

2 The cunning fine false fellowes in their second helpe stoode much vpon the worthynes of working according to the Law. You must and do know, what I tel you.

The parts of the Law are Viz. to be con­sidered in this case, and there­fore I speak not of the Iudicials. two. 1. either cere­monials, 2. or morals. The ceremonials consist in types and shadowes, the morals in workes and deedes. Of the former sort wee haue spoken, and must treat again more in the fourth chapter.

The moral Law is flat contrary to the nature of faith (vers. 9.) They that are of faith are bles­sed. And as many as are vnder the Law, are vn­der the curse. The Law and Faith flat opposite and contrarie. Wet & dry, heat and cold, fier and water, light and darknes, heauen and hel are not more contrary than blessing and cursing. The same spring cannot send foorth blessing and cur­sing, sweete and sower water. If it curse, how [Page 110] can it blesse? And if it blesse not, how can it iusti­fie? But by the Lawe commeth a curse and male­diction, I say by the Law morall, by the Lawe of deedes. Cursed is hee that continueth not in all thinges, which are written in the booke of the Lawe to doe them. Among the number (of al things) I think the moral law is comprehended. (Which are written) I ghesse, the morall Law is written in the booke of Deutronomie, and in the Tables of the Exod. 20. Decalog as well as the ceremo­nial and which are written (TO DOE THEM,) and I take it (DOING) belongeth most proper­ly to the Law moral, which is of deedes.

Ye papistes would blind vs in the day of light, and make vs beleeue Saint Paul speaketh of the ceremoniall Lawe which curseth and cannot bee borne, and cannot iustifie. But not of the Lawe morall, not of the iustice of the Law, which your Rabbi Vega and graund interpreter of your Tri­dentine conuent saith: Vega. de Iust. lib. 14. c. 24. Paulus nun­quam opponit. Paul neuer opposed to the Law of faith. If he neuer toldly before, this is a master-ly, and a ly with a witnesse. Blessed are they that are vnder faith.).(.cursed are they that are vnder the Law. If cursing and blessing be contrary, then is the Law and faith contrary, & I say again this repugnancy is chiefly betwixt faith and the morall Law. For therefore is the ceremonial Law in one respect contrary to faith, because it bindeth man to the perfect obseruation of the morals vnder paine of a curse, which is a [Page 111] dangerous Doctrine, an absurde opinion, and an impossible aduenture. For Paul laieth it downe that no man is iustified by the Lawe, &c. Hee meaneth not onely the Iewes, who somewhat, or among the Iewes he meaneth not only the Priests and Leuits and the like, who were most occupied in the ceremonies: but NO MAN, no not anie man where euer vnder the cope of heauen can bee iustified by the Law moral. For he meaneth that which hee thinketh might extend to any, which in his owne iudgement was not the ceremoniall, but yet by name also afterward, 4. Chap. the ce­remoniall rite of circumcision is reiected euen therefore, because it was a couenant and induce­ment, and as I may so speak, a brissel to drawe in the yoke of the morals in the causes of iustifying, which Paul could not brooke.

So that this controuersie of iustification is no new question. The false Apostles were predeces­sors to the Papists in the chiefest ground of their intolerable pride of woorkes. Mary if mans workes were perfect, then the case were altered. And then man should not be man, or the woorkes of man should be perfecter than man the worker, and so God should accept the woorke before the workdoer. But god respecteth first Gen. 4.4. Abels person, & thē his work. And if the person be imperfect, the works cannot be perfect. And therefore mans im­perfit works cānot claim by the law which requi­reth perfection which is far frō man since his fall.

[Page 112] The Law requi­reth al or none in the question of iustifieng.The Law is not contēt with a good entrance, and a reasonable continuance, but cursed is hee that continueth not (without interruption) in al that was written. Pharao with much adoe gran­ted leaue vnto Moses to goe aside a litle & Sacri­fice. But Moses would not accept thereof, because God had commaunded him otherwise. And hee would not go but according to the forme prescri­bed with male and female, with young and oulde, with their children & seruants, with their cattle & al, euē with al or with none: he would not, he durst not leaue one houffe behind. Exod. 10.26. Iam. 3.2. The distinction of venial sin is a vaine conceat. Sēblably the Law will haue all or none. Yet in many things wee offend al, & that not sleightly, or venially after a Popish fancy, for he that offendeth in one, offē ­deth in all, in offending him that will haue all or none. And the breach of all I trow is mortal sinne accusing and accursing all, and how then call you these prety pety venial sins? Or how can the Law accru as cause of iustifieng, wherein should & doth consist euerlasting blisse, whereas it layeth an hea­uy curse vpon all that leane therunto? Durgus. fo. 298. The Scot­tish Iesuit saith, Moses Law extendeth not to the least pointes of the Lawe, but note: That where God commandeth, a hide, a heare, or a houffe is not to be omitted.

Other of the papists fondly restraine the worde (All) to al that go to worke only with natural fa­culties, and who exclude and shut out grace quite in offending, or els in dooing the Lawe. If this [Page 113] were the Galathians opinion, let the Lawe also winne the goal, and weare the garland. Let Pa­pistes be beeleeued, and let Master Stapleton bee credited. No. The false Apostles in wordes and in their doctrine, euen as the Papists, they taught the grace of God, & annexed the Gospell of Christ, & then callenged the name of Apostolicke teachers (though they were false Apostles in so doing) yea so far foorth, that they were reputed men linckt in and ioyned with Peter, who neuer was imagi­ned to teach the Lawe vtterly secluding faith. Wherefore that is but a friuolous conceit: and therefore verily, verily if wee stand to bee iustified by the Law in what state soeuer, the nature of the Law accurseth, & therefore I pray you recognize your De vniu. Iust. doct. lib. 6. c. 13 interpretation, Master Stapleton, and I trust euen as the country fellow, the more he told his geese, the fewer hee found them: so the oftner yee looke vpon your Imaginations, the woorse ye will like it.

But Saint Paul leaueth not the Galathians thus. If blessing, if happinesse, if iustification, if saluation, if life euerlasting, (for all these diuers wordes in sound, are one and the same in sense and meaning) if these come not from the Law, whence come they then? Paul sheweth.

Diuerse words may inculcat one and the same thing after a various manner of speaking.Whereas Iustification cōmeth, 1. Not by the priuilege of Abrahams fleshe, 2. Nor by dignity of workes, because of the woorkers imperfection and the exact perfectnes required in the Lawe, Paul directeth three distinct waies, yet al of them meeting and agreeing in the end, and indeede not the waies but the woordes are diuerse, whereby our iustification is vttered to be attained.

We are not iustified by Lawe. Whence then? 1. First by faith. 2. Thē by christ crucified. 3. And lastly by the promise of the spirit, and these three are but one. Liuing, redemption and blessing in sense is one. So liuing by faith in Christ, redemp­tion purchased by Christ, and the spirituall pro­mise of Christ hath not a diuerse meaning, where­by we liue and are saued. For my faith is in christ, the promise was of Christ, and Christ is the per­fection and performance thereof in the daies of his flesh, and vpon his Crosse. But consider we apart the variety and so the vehemency of the Apostles woordes thus varied.

Faith instifieth.1 The first speech is, that the iust shal liue by faith. This was prooued, and sufficiently pro­ued [Page 115] before by the example and faith of Abraham. But abundant proofes for the foundation of chri­stian faith are not superfluous, and must not bee tedious to eares and minds erected and settled to heare and marke the euidences of their saluation.

The Prophet Abacuc saith Habak. 2.4. that the iust shall liue by faith. In the end of the first, and in the be­ginning of the second chapter of his prophesie, the Iewes appeere to haue bin in a pitiful case. Their enimies were no small enimies. The Chaldaeans were a terrible and a feareful people, a bitter and a furious nation, wel manned, and horses as fierse as woolues, swifter than the Leopards, and of flight like the eagle hasting after her meate.

These Chaldeans molested the Iews on euery side, spoiled them as the East-wind the fruit, de­uoured them as the great fish deuoureth the smal, yea they caught the Iews as it were fish into their nets, and Prosperitie, & prouender in an excessiue mea­sure marreth man & beast. they tooke them as fast as they could cast in and pul vp, and thereby they grew fat, and their portion was great and plenteous. And thereupon they wared in loue of their own might, and wanton again with their prosperous successe. They Sacrificed to their nets, they burnt incense to their yarn, they were glad in hart, stroked their own heads that could deuise, and kissed their own handes that had compassed so great matters.

The Iewes in this hard case what should they doe? Round about, wheresoeuer they looked, they saw present danger, and no possible helpe, or hope [Page 116] in man. Notwithstanding God doth denounce that the pride of the presumptuous that trusted in themselues, should come to nothing, and the iust should liue by his faith, and his people for all this, because they trusted in God, they were iust (euen as the Caldeans were therefore vniust because they crusted in themselues) and the Iewes as they were iust, so should they liue in god, in whom they trusted, euen by their faith. And therefore their iustification with God was their faith, and trust in God, and in God alone, most then, when all helpes els failed, as appeareth in their greatest ex­tremities.

Workes are imperfect.Imperfect deedes were no deserts, and could not helpe out of bodily calamities, much-lesse in cases of saluation euerlasting, and the iust man be­leeueth not in himselfe, much-lesse in his workes, his faith goeth out of himselfe and resteth in God through Christ, in whom amongst a million or a myriad of Caldeans, in the midst of all fierse and false Catholiques, our faith in Christ shall neuer faile. We are iustified in Christ, wee are saued by Christ, we liue by Christ.

And thus is onely faith in him, opposed & set a­gainst all the meritricious or meritorious puta­tiue deserts of fraile and sinful flesh supposed to be answerable to the law, which can neuer bee: for if the Iewes could haue doone the Lawe, they might haue claimed of God their deliuerance for their good workes. For he that doth the things of the [Page 117] Law shal liue in them. No they needed, and so do all, an other redeemer which must saue them & all out of the hands of the Law and from our brea­ches thereof, and the Caldeans rage is but a phil­lip or a flea-biting to the curse of the Lawe.

(Christ redee­meth:) is the only comfort of a conscience, that hath a sense of sin and any tast of true consolation.2 The redemption from this curse is Christ on his Crosse, hanged on tree. The Iew stumbleth at this faith, and the Gentile scorneth this Doc­trine: but the godly saith in hart, that which Ig­natius vttered in wordes: My loue is crucified. The obiect of my faith, the ground of my hope, the marke, the matter of my trust and confidence, my delight, my loue, my life, the cause of life euer­lasting, my ful redemption, and perfect saluation, my Iesus was Crucified, and endured the curse for my sake.

This was no slender punishment, nor small paine, and were it the griefe but of a bodily tor­ment, it were grieuous: but our redemption was not in respect of the paine of the body onely, or of the sorrowes of the soule onely, but in regarde of the sinnes of both, and that not for one man, but for the sinnes of the worlde.

The penitent sinner.The better to conceiue the force of this deser­ued paine, and the effect of sinne, see it in a repen­tant sinner: he standeth farre off, he beateth on his thigh, knocketh on his brest, hangeth downe head, watereth his eies with teares, and wearieth his heart with sighes, and findeth no rest in his soule for sorrow of sinnes, neither should he euer finde [Page 118] rest at all, were it not for this redemption which is in Christ. The state of a forlorne cast-away. For the reprobate who hath no part in this saluation, howe many bees hath hee in his head, how many pegs in his hart, how many very helles in his soul, how many trayterous thoughts that trouble him euerlastingly? Euen such is the force of sinne, where sinners are left to them­selues.

But Christ our blessed Sauiour hath taken that vpon him, that we could not beare, and hath endured the curse of the Law, not for the sinnes of one man, or in one kinde, but for the sinnes of all the worlde Sufficiently, and for al the sinnes of al sortes in all his chosen Effectually, to their ful and finall redemption.

If now there be any that can chalenge any part of this ransome, let him commense his action a­gainst our Sauiour that hath taken, and against Paul that hath prescribed & giuen him the whole glory of mans redemption, as who only sustained (being not onely man, but God and man) the in­supportable waight of sinne, in satisfieng for sinne, in pacifieng the Father, in answering his iustice, in enduring the curse and malediction of the Law.

From what things we are redeemed.O my brethren, let Papists ride vpon a reed, or catch hold on a ragge of a tottered good woorke, this, and only this is our redemption which hath redeemed vs from the intolerable yoke, the im­portable burden, and the insufferable curse of the [Page 119] Lawe, from that seruile feare, and legall terror which the Lawe induceth, wherein Austins short and sweet difference (being well vnderstood) be­twixt the Law and the Gospell appeareth, which he deliuered to be in two wordes: FEARE and LOVE. Wee loue good woorkes vnder the Gos­pell, according to the rule of the Law, but we fear not the curse of the Law, wanting that perfection which in right it requireth, for wee are redeemed and ransomed, our debt is paid, and our curse was abolished when our Sauiour was crucified. Wee loue him, and in loue we liue well. but in case es­pecially of life euerlasting, wee leane to no other redemption, than to his Crosse, for so we liue, as we loue, and so we loue as we beleeue, and so wee beleeue as we know, and we know in part: Ergo we beleeue, we loue, we liue, but in part as wee should. And a partial perfection, a maimed imper­fect performance of the Law, alas what can it do? It is imperfect, so that still, and euer when wee haue doone what we can, we haue doone but that was but due, & therefore not deseruing, for due is duty and debt, and no desert. Nay we cannot do so much as we should, or if wee could do all, yet wee were vnprofitable. And therefore this is our re­fuge, and only resolution to cleaue to remission of, and vnto the redemption from our sins. And with what face can one and the same mouth craue his pardon, and challenge his guerdon? Beleeue in Christ, and trust in merits? Once againe: this is [Page 120] the trueth we holde, and the trust we haue, Christ is our redemption.

The blessing commeth by promise.3 The blessing of Abraham then commeth vnto many promised by God in Christ, & receiued by faith. For the promise of the spirit, the spiritual promise requireth no humane fleshly helpe, but a firme faith altogither relying vpon the goodnesse of the promiser. So that iustification, blisse and the heauenly inheritance commeth by promise, and if by promise, then not by the Law, verse 18. This our aduersaries see well inough, and yet a­gainst the heare, Rhemish test. pag. 430. I feare me, against their own conscience they raue and raile at this truth, and call the woordes of the holy Ghost, A friuolous & a false euasion of heretickes. Because wee say That heauen is our reward not due to woorkes, (not due to the Law) but to the promise of God. Is this a friuolous or a false, or an euidētly false euasion? Or is it a shift or an euasion of hereticks? Verily if this be heresie, we worship our God and receiue his free promise according to the way which you call heresie. But in calling vs here­tickes, you terme Saint Paul an hereticke, you charge the holy Ghost with heresie. And no mar­uel. Old ignorant Priestes say: that S. Pole was a Sainct, but Paul was an heretique. Your olde Priestes were woont like bolde blind-baiards to vouch vpon their priesthood that Paul was an hereticke. Yea euen the old famous Fugger was content at length that Gesner shuld teach his children some peece of the Testament, but in any case they should not bee trained vp in [Page 121] any of Pauls Epistles. For doubtles Paul was a very Protestant, a perfect professor of the truth, which pardoners, masse-priests, and merit-mon­gers cried out against.

In the question of Saluation, Paul standeth euer vpon Grace, Mercye, Fauour, Gift, Faith, and the promise, &c. And if by these, and namely, If by promise, then not by the Lawe, vers. 18. But these words sauour of heresie, belike; ô come not neere them, least they infect, and make thee an hereticke, like vnto Paul.

Nay, my Brethren, imbrace them, and bind them vp as a treasure, and beare in thy brest, laie them to thy heart as the onely treacle of thy soule against the daie of temptation, and the assault of the cruel find.

The promise ri­seth from the goodnes of him, who promised, not from the de­serts of men to whom God made his promise.Thy woorkes when thou wast not, coulde not prouoke God to promise a due stipend vnto them as deseruing, when they were not: but his promise was as ishuing out of himselfe, and therefore free and gracious, and so not meritted and deserued. And if this be heresie, by this heresie we liue, and in this heresie wee trust to ende our daies, hoping after this immortality to enioy that free promised inheritance through Iesus Christ our Sauiour.

There are three principal matters handled by [Page 122] our Apostle in the residue of this chapter. 1. First, that inuiolably the promise was so to be receiued, as it was deliuered. 2. Then in whom the pro­mise was made. 3. Thirdly when and at what time it was solemnly ordained.

For the due respect of the promise to bee in sense so constered, as it was ment by the intend­ment of the promiser, without adding or alterati­on, the Apostle condescendeth to the capacity of a common example in mans ordinarie experience. I speake according to man. After the manner of men, taking the best way to be vnderstood. The plainest teacher is the best teacher. Wher, by the waie I note: that the plainest waie of tea­thing is best. Not to fetch and skir about without distinct proofes in doctrine, and fit application.

Vain affectation in preaching.As the ignorant loose talker is no preacher, so the curious Corinthian Orator is no right in­structer. Colours of vaine affectation, minsing of phrases, brauery of speech, pruning euery syllable as the Doue her feathers, is not worth a feather. Saint Paul speaketh not to shewe himselfe in the wisedom of words. Apollo in the Acts is repor­ted to be eloquent, but withal his might was out of the Scriptures. Lime is white and faire, but stone and sand, firme and strong downe-right pre­ceptes doe better in the building vp of a good vn­derstanding. Spiders webbes and curiosities are little woorth, plaine parables, easie similitudes, most familiar, and best knowen are euer best.

God that made the preachers toong could haue [Page 123] made it as woonderfully glorious as man could wish, but he will not haue his Ghospell so vttered, his Christ so preached, our faith so instructed, his truth so taught. Hee commandeth the conscience, he seeketh not to please the itching eare. The curious eare is not the good eare. And by such intising wordes the simplicity of the Gospell leeseth hir proper effect. For the Lorde dealeth with you as with his children, and you must atten­tiuely listen what hee commandeth you by vs, and not respect the frame of our sentences, or the con­ueiance of a Rhetorical grace of vtterance.

Curiosiry in the Countrie.O Lord, Oxford should not, neither doth it sin so deeply in this sinne, as doth the country. Young men, comming latelier from their secular studies, and labours in humane learninges, come vnto you, God be thanked for them, and a while retaine some more remnantes and spoiles of Egypt than either their elders doe, or themselues will after­ward, being farther enriched by longer trauel and exercise in the booke of God: and will you make and force their ensamples euen against their wils to preiudice a daiely or a weekely endeuour in a discreete, a distinct, and in a carefull and most plaine manner of deliuery? You may not. De con­ducendo loquitur iam Rhetore Thule. The countrie now can brooke nothing but a flaring, gaudy ga­rish eloquence falsely so called. When saint Paul speaketh after the manner of men, hee mea­neth not thereby to tickle the eares of vaine men, but to affect their heartes, and to enstruct their [Page 124] soules, and the rather by this his plainnes. And that is eloquence indeede.

He that hath wealth and wit withal, wil ne­uer bee without his wil & Te­stament made while he is in perfect health.Now to the Apostles purpose, his plaine proofe is a comparatiue proofe drawen from the testa­mentes of men, which men of olde were euer wil­ling to make, being far vnlike our vnwise world­linges now adaies, that either dare not for feare, least a wise and aduised making of a wil shoulde cause them to die the sooner, forsooth; or else for priuate respects they care not like infidels, if their friendes and familes goe togither by the eares, and fight for their goods after their discease, as it were Dogs for a bone. Whom because the exam­ples of Abraham, Iacob, Ioseph, Moses, and of many others cannot moue, yet mee thinketh, they should bee as careful as was Achitophel, first to put their house in order before they put their foote into the graue. Who so listeth to see a large scho­lerly reckoning in this case, Iohn Wolphius is as plentifull as anie I haue seene for this matter in his Commentaries on the second of Kinges.

Corrupters of Testaments.Now once againe for the Apostles reason, hee argueth thus: If a man make a wil and testament if should bee inuiolable, and it is a villanie to cor­rupt a mans testament. Looke to it you which bee witnesses in wils. But what is man to God? Be­tweene the Maiesty of the Almighty God, and the state of man, there is no ratable respect. But if a man make a wil, it must not be altered in part, nor abrogated in whole. See it in a case: If I bee the [Page 125] adopted sonne of a man, onely vpon condicion that I accept thereof. And when I haue made accep­tance, maie others, pretending neerenes of kinne, or vpon what pretence soeuer else, annex other condicions of their owne deuising? By no meanes so.

If men deale, or shoulde deale thus with men, maie man deale worse with God? Ier. 35.14. The children of Recab obeyed their father, and dwelt in tentes, and drank not wine because their father comman­ded them so. The Lordes promises of grace and fauour whereby we are his adopted children, are his couenants, his wil, his testament. The seed of woman shal bruse the serpents head. This pro­mise was first made in paradise, but because it was more solemnly ratified with Abraham, that in his seed al nations should be blessed, the Apo­stle cited the promise confirmed with Abraham. And this was gods couenant, his promise, his te­stament to bee laied vp and kept vnuiolable in the Arke of euery good conscience, and to dispose o­therwise of this his Testament, than it pleased him the maker of the wil, is to despice the testa­tor, albeit thou deale therein vpon neuer so good a mind. Gods doing nee­deth not man­deuisings. For what I pray are mens minds to gods wil, our dregs to his wine, our deuises to his pro­mises, our Codicils (as it were) to his perfect Testament?

The Painter exposeth his workmanship to the viewe and correction of wise and skilful sightes, [Page 126] because many eies may see more than one. It is not so with the onely wise God, he needeth not our counsels either for his owne glorie, or for mans behoofe. Wherefore what neede the addition of the Lawe to bee mingled with his free promise? Why rather submit we not our selues to his wil, and our wils to his woorde, and blessed couenant and testament? Why subscribe we not to his only mercy rather than to a counterfait will preten­ding his mercy, but not onely mercy wherein his wil was ordained? For the better clearing of this point, harken farther what Paul saith.

The Pharisies thought that al in al was in A­brahams person, & in his posterity after the fleshe. Saint Paul sheweth that the roote of the blessing was neither in him nor in his al along descending naturally, but IN A SEEDE, not in seedes, as in many, nor in any, but onely in the promised [Page 127] seede, and this seede hee expressy meaneth to bee Christ: To thy seede as of one which is Christ: the seede of the woman, the seede of seedes, the spi­ritual Isaack, the seede of Abraham, the author of life, the bound of al the promises which is Christ perfourmed. And such as is the performance, such was the promise. Saint Paul telleth vs this seede was but one, for Christ is but one. Wherefore in the waie of saluation, wee repaire neither to A­braham, nor to Abrahams race, much lesse to o­ther men or meanes, but onely to the promise, which had his accomplishment fully and wholy in Christ.

In few, out of the former respectes I gather these short inferences and conclusions: 1. The blessing is of promise, ergo free, and not of deedes foregoing or foreseene. 2. The blessing was a free gift to Abraham, ergo most free. 3. The blessing was in one certaine seed, ergo not in many. 4. And in one alone, ergo not in any thing else, and this one was Christ accordingly perfourmed, as hee was first promised to bee the sole and only Sa­uiour al-sufficient of all that trust in him to bee saued.

1 Yet ouer and aboue the former considera­tions, the obseruation of the time when the pro­mise was granted to Abraham maketh the mat­ter quite out of doubt touching the freenesse of the promise.

This couenant of the promise was made, and [Page 128] a bargaine is a bargaine amongst men, Gods promises are infallibly constant. but God is not as man that he can rise and sit, eb and flow, neither wil he repent, but where he promiseth, and as hee freely promised, so will hee not after and change his promises.

This promise and couenant was made four­teene hundred and thirty yeares before the Lawe was made in mount Horeb. It was made, & shal it not stand? The Law moral giuen in the mountaine can­not be ioined with Christ. It was made so long before, and shal the Law (I say the Lawe not ceremoniall as the Papistes doe, but the Law of the two tables, and the ten commandementes made in mount Horeb:) Shal this Law comming so long after disanull the Lordes former promise? God is not contrarie to himselfe either in the essence and sub­stance of his being, or in order or tenor of his do­ings and sayinges. His promise is a promise, and as it was free at first in the promise, so is it free in the perfourmance, free then, and free now, and for euer free. For Gods after-doinges doe not thwart or contrarie his former deedes, which must needs be if Righteousnes should come by the Law.

1 When the Lawe entred, and what that in­ferreth [Page 129] ferreth hath beene said: Now see, 2. why it entred, and in whom it ended.

2 It entred because of transgressions, to teach vs our faultes, and so to traine vs to Christ, in whom it ended. Yea when the Law was first made in great maiesty by the reason of the pre­sence of angels and other circumstances of great reuerence, euē then it was ordained in the The variety of expositions vp­on this place is an endles labe­rinth. I haue shortly para­phrased what I thinke. hands, and in strength of a mediatour to follow. And a mediator is of things different in themselues and contrary. Wherefore the Lawe and the promise are contrarie and not one, though God in ge­uing his Lawe, and in making the promise bee one. Yet because the former reason might bee misconstred, as if Paul saide that in al respectes they were contrarie, he questioneth as followeth.

How the Law is contrary and not contrary to the promise.These wordes (Is the Lawe then contrary to the promise? God forbid.) may seeme to reuoke what I said right now. For I shewed that they were contrary, and I say they are contrary. But (my brethren) mistake me not, but marke (I pray you) marke what I say, and how I vouch all that I say out of our Apostle: If there had beene a law [Page 130] which coulde haue giuen life, then what needed Christ? If the Scriptures had not concluded men vnder sin, what had needed the promise? So that the Law fulfilled (if it could be) by men, is contra­rie to the promised saluation by God. But when we looke into the glasse of the Law shewing our transgressings, into the Scriptures concluding al, Rom. 3.9. euen A L, without exception of any, vnder sin, the Lawe and Scriptures send vs & schoole vs to Christ, and so the Law being thus lawfully vsed is not contrary to the promise, God forbid, but a ser­uiceable helpe to driue vs to Christ, in whom we finde that which the Law will neuer allow vs.

If we seeke life in the Law, it is a killing let­ter; if saluation, it worketh condemnation; if righ­teousnesse, it concludeth all vnder sinne; if rest, it is a temporall ordinance and endured but till the seed came, & in the seede was made the free pro­mise, and is obtained the perfect blessing by faith in Christ of al that beleeue. The Law con­sidered in it self, what it worketh The Lawe cannot teach thus much, but he that looketh into the law, and seeth his sinnes will seeke for helpe, I wis not in his deedes, or in the Lawe: Mat. 13. and when hee hath found it in the Gospel, he will not leaue it for all the geld, Iewels and treasures in the world.

The lawfull vse of the Law was, & some-way to some may be in cases, to be by resemblance, 1. A prison, 2. A schoole-master, 3. A tutor. A prison for the guiltie, a schoole-master for the vnskilful, A tutor as it were to the ward and pupil. For this third similitude, wee will debate more in the be­ginning of the next Chapter.

The Law a prison.1 For the first similitude of the three, no doubt they which were in prison, and felt what it was to be in prison, and what it was to be deliue­red, longed to be deliuered. And when the deliue­rance came, which was Christ, the keeper yeelded vp his keies, the doore of the prison was opened, and the prisoners set at that good liberty which wee call, and is a Christian liberty, no carnall security.

The Law a schoolemaster.2 The Law also was a schoole-master, and that in two respects: either because of their cere­monies, or els for their morals. The ceremonies kept the Iewes in on euery side, and sequestred them from other people: the decalog and morall Law followeth them hard and driueth them and vs all to confesse our weakenesse, and so schooleth vs to craue aide of Christ, because it was vtterly impossible to reach home, and to attaine vnto the hauen of blessednesse by the Law, and so the Lawe [Page 132] in this meaning becommeth deseruice-able to force vs to Christ, and being nowe in Christ, our dutifull obedience proceedeth of faith and trust in his mercy, not vpon a performance of his Lawe, which if we could and did performe, Christ might be excluded. For why came Christ, but to free vs from the prison, and to take vs out of the hand of our former schoolemaster? These similitudes are pregnant and plaine to this sense, and to this sense only Paul doth apply them.

And when we are once preferred vnto, and re­ceiued of Christ, 1. We are the sonnes of God in Christ, 2. Wee are baptized into Christ, 3. Wee haue put on Christ. Here is no mention of the Law, here is no difference of peoples, Iew or Grae­cian, no distinction in condition, bond or free: no respect of sex, male, or female. All are one in christ. and if we be Christs, it followeth by necessary se­quele that we are Abrahams seede, and heires of the promise without the Law now, as well as hee was, long before the Law was made.

[Page 133] O Christian man, what art thou? Know thy calling and consider the blessed state of Christian profession: thou art the sonne of God, but by what meanes? Through faith. In whome, and by whose merit? In Christ.

Christian Bap­tisme dispro­ueth iustificati­on by the Law.As many things demonstrate this truth, so in the Church doth baptizme being receaued of all sorts and sexes generally most euidently declare the same.

The bath of thy regeneratiō doth tel thee who art baptized into Christ, that thou thereby hast an entrance into his family, and canst not serue anie master but him.

And as when men enter into a Bathe, they put off all their apparell before they enter: so all else, Law and nature, workes of either, and al must be put off, that christ may be put on. Reuel. 12.1. Vestis virum indi­cat. It thou bee a Christian, thou art onely cladde with Christ. The whole Church in the reuelation walketh and treadeth all mutable thinges vnder her feete, and she is attired onely with the Sonne of righteousnesse, with the cloth of his spinning, and which was made of that wol that he the inno­cent and immaculate Lambe of God did beare.

The motiue of being of the re­ligion they were baptised in.Many among you say they wil be of the religi­on they were baptized in. And so wee desire them to bee, and not in part, but euen altogether of the same religion they were baptized into. For wil ye liue as yee beleeue? But wil you beleeue as you were baptized? We require no more.

[Page 134] The substance of Baptisme preserued in the mids of Popery.By the speciall prouidence of God aminds the contentions not onely of old in the Church of Co­rinth the very forme of Baptizme was retained, but also in later times of greatest corruption the substance of Baptizme was preserued. I speake not of spetle in the childs mouth, of salt in the wa­ter, or oyle in his brest, of the Priests breathings, and such like impertinent superstitions. But for the forme and substance of Baptisme, it was pre­serued, and therein yee were baptised into Christ and haue put on Christ, if yee bee Christes. And now deare brethren and Christians, be of this re­ligion on Gods name, and in Gods behalfe I har­tily pray you, which if you wil be seriously and en­tirely and as you should, the Dagon of al Popery wil fal and break to fitters before this Arke, and then you shal be indeede as you are or would be in name, true Christians, right Catholiques, the very seede of Abraham and heires of the promise, made in that one seede, by whom and in whom all happines doth come and consist.

And it woulde bee noted distinctly heere in the last verse of this chapter, which was touched be­fore, that all who beleeue are called the seede and right posteritie of Abraham, but yet that there was, and is but one seed, which is Christ, by whom his whole seede and race els are blessed according to the faith.

How man is made blessed in the seede of man.And albeit it seeme in the eie of a reasoning head, a very harde and impossible thing, that bles­sing [Page 135] should come at all by the seede of any man, yet this is a case beyond the reach of reason, and rules of nature. By nature, who can say my hart is cleane, much lesse the seede, and that in such an effect as to clense others? And yet by that one seede is ment the person of Christ, and by Abra­hams seede is generally ment the whole race of beleeuers, yet with al the very matter of propa­gation is thereby inferred and therefore named. Luck. 1. And our Sauiour was the very seede of the wo­man, the seed of Abrahā, & & the frute of the virgins womb, perfect man, & yet far from sin. How may this be? How? What if I cā not tel how in reason, a stone shoulde bee cut of the mountaine without handes, howe the drie and deade stocke of Iessy should spring and fructifie, how a virgine should conceaue and beare a child, and yet remaine a vir­gine? These are articles of faith, and not of sense, nor of reason.

Mans corrupti­on is and was in his qualities, and not in his substance.This is sure, the seede of man, and man in his substance was not corrupted with Adams fall, for then Christ taking the substance of our nature shoulde haue beene sinfull in nature, but hee was like and of the same substance, yet was there this difference onely of his being farre from sinne in the qualities of man in sinning, and all this well was and might bee, because hee was not simply man of the seede of man, but God manifested in the flesh, and Marie his Mother conceauing him, she beeing ouer-shadowed by the holy Ghost. The [Page 136] powerful vertue whereof doth sanctifie yea many a man in good part euen in this woorld. And as after our dissolution from this world immediatly our soules, and our bodies at the resurrection generally in the twinckling of an eye, and mo­ment of time shalbee purified before they enter that place, whereinto Reuel. 21.27. No impure thing can enter: So great reason that the cause of our entrance into Heauen should bee, as no doubt hee was, deuoid of sinne, a most blessed seede, though a seede, yet a seede blessing and im­parting of his blessednesse, whereby wee are heires and coheires with him, and by him of euerlasting blisse. And this is the mysterie of piety, The incarnation of Christ, a matter to bee beleeued, and not to bee argued or talked of, but with dewe aw, and that out of the expresse Scriptures, for our greater comfort and constancy in beleeuing. (*⁎*)

CHAP. IIII.

The Law resem­bleth the office of a tutor. THE third Simile is of a tutorshippe which remaineth to be explica­cated in the entry of this Chapter, yet therefore the lesse to be debated be­cause of our former ex­amples tending to one & the same end already handled.

If the father discease in the nonage of his child where wisedome is not, and discretion wanteth to dispose and order his patrimony, the Father by will appointeth tutors. In common experience this is an ordinary course.

God for purposes best knowen to his eternall wisedome, and finding defects in his people, the Iews, to bridle them from farther inconueniences, he bounded them in with ordinances, & as it were tutored them by such orders as was best for them [Page 138] and for that time. And as children are foolish to choose their owne tutors, so the Iewes were to serue, and to be ruled, though being children, yet as it were seruants vnder the rudimentes of his Law, til the time of perfecter age. Wherein ap­peareth. 1. The defect in men vnder the Lawe, who were as pupils, and though they were heires, yet in vsage were they dealt with as with Ser­uants, and 2. The dignity, ful age and perfection vnder the Gospel.

Curiosity in Gods actions is not good. When the fulnes &c. A foolish fly can no soo­ner see a light, but it flieth into it. Man naturally is giuen rather to know what hee cannot learne, than to doe what he knoweth, and should learne, to the ende to doe thereafter.

If the Kings of Persia might weare a Lawne before their faces because they would not be com­monly seene, why may not the King of Kings, the inuisible God keepe the reason of his doinges vn­der the veile of his owne determinations & coun­fels, or why was it forbidden men to run before or to prie into, or to presse too neer the Arke, but to represse mans vain humor in quareling with or enquiring after the causes & reasons of Gods dea­lings? [Page 139] To this very same end Paul here entering into the declaration of the comming of our Saui­our, to mussel the mouth that is open euer to que­stion, why he came but now, and why not before, he sheweth the fulnes of time was not til then.

God doth al things in number, in measure and weight, in order, and time. There is no confusion in his actions, though he keepe the causes secret to himselfe. And what mā is worthy to be of the pri­uy counsell of the Almighty God? There was a time prefixed by God, & that should content man. When the fulnesse of that time was brim full, then, and not before then, he performed his purpo­sed wil.

He could, he that is Almighty could haue with a word, ipse dixit, he spake the word, and al things were created, hee could if he would haue made all the whole Fabrick and furniture of the world in a moment. But he would not. Why? It is a vile, an Atheists and an impious (WHY.) He did not, and therefore he wold not. For whatsoeuer he would, he hath done both in heauen and in earth.

The causes of the course of things in ordi­narie euents are not knowen to man.Thou curious man, aunswere mee but to the least, why, that I shall aske. Why was thou not borne, as soone as thou wert begotten? Nay why was thou begotten at al, and not rather framed as God made Adam? And when thou art borne, why art thou not an olde man strait? Why is not euery blacke heare gray & hory in an instant? Why is it not hygh noone at the rising of the sunne? If tyme [Page 140] be required in these thinges and in the like, and if in the requiring of time, recourse also must neces­sarily bee made to God so ordering the processe of thinges to haue a foorth by pase and pase, and by degrees, by little and litle, til there be a ripenes in continuance, I pray thee why, may not God ap­point a fulnes of time for the sending of his sonne into the world, but thou must put in thy quare, and thy why?

For shame lay hand vpon thy mouth, subscribe to his will, resigne thy selfe vp to his wisedome, a­dore his counsels, and be not curious in anie of his doings. For he that is curious in any, will bee ouercurious in many. There is no stay in folly. It is an 2 King. 20.10. easier thing for the sunne as Ezechias said, to go on extraordinarily many degrees, because it is naturally prone to go on, than to returne backe against his course but a fewe: so curiosity is soone emboldned, but hardly repressed, and seldome re­formed.

In the fulnes of time God sent his Son made of woman, and made vnder the Lawe, that hee might redeeme them which &c. Wherein is set foorth, 1. The person of Christ, and 2. His of­fice.

The person of Christ fullie laide forth.1 His person is being God sent his son, and being man made of a woman. The wise Greci­an, and the wilful Heretique at the very hearing hereof are at their wittes ends, and quite besides themselues. Eutyches denieth the Godhead, Ne­storius [Page 141] the manhoode, Marcian the bodie, Apolli­naris the soule of our Sauiour.

The naturall man considereth onelie naturall things, he knoweth that euerie child hath a father that begetteth, & a Mother that beareth, but these things in Christ hee cannot find, he knoweth lesse herein than is storied of Melchisedeck, whose pa­rentes are vnknowen. And indeede therein was Melchisedeck a type of Christ Melchisedeck a type of Christ.

So was hee. For according to his humanitie Christ was without a naturall father, and accor­ding to his diuinity without mother. And yet not­withstanding was he begotten of his father before al worldes, and borne of his mother in the woorld at the fulnes of time, being the Sonne of God and the sonne of a woman. The sonne of God, and such as is the father, such is the sonne. The father God, ergo the sonne God also. And the Son of Ma­rie. Such as is the Mother, such is the fruite of her womb: and therefore because the Mother was a woman, her sonne is a man, euen the man Iesus perfect God & perfect man, hauing both natures absolutely vnited in one person, our Immanuel, god with vs, equal to the father touching his god­head, inferiour to the father touching his man­hood. Equal to the father as being in the Phil. 2.6. forme of God, inferiour to the father, as beeing in the form of a seruant, mā. Wherfore in essence, being, substance, & nature he was both. Forma dat esse, & he was formally & therefore verily both. Equall to [Page 142] his father as being the personal word of his father Iob. 1.1. in the beginning eternally, with God coequal­ly, and verie God essentially, and yet inferiour to the father, as the woorde became fleshe, dwelt a­mongest men, was made man, and manifested in the flesh by infallible arguments: he hungred, thir­sted, waked, slept, and slept in a shippe like a poore naturall man ouer-wearied with labour, and hee slept so soundly, that neither the rufnesse of the sea, nor the rage of the tempests, nor his Disciples re­doubling Luk. 8.24. their calling (Master, Master) could skant awake him. He was tempted in the wilder­nes, reproched in the cities, and skourged in the hal, and crucified, and made a curse, and a subiect to the Lawe in euery point, yet these thinges also concerne rather his office, but such was his per­son.

2 The office of Christ. His office, which hee erecuted to the full, was in one word: to redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe, that wee might receaue the a­doption of Sonnes. Wherefore the seruitude vn­der the Lawe, and the adoption to be Sonnes are two diuerse and contrary things, and cannot stand together. For Christes office was to redeeme vs, first from the Law before wee might bee receaued into the adoption to be Sonnes. And thus was the natural Sonne of God made after a supernatural maner very man, that of seruantes, we might bee made Sonnes.

And if wee will needes require reason in the [Page 143] greatest work of God, Why Christ should be both God and man to the effectual performance of his office. great reason was it the hy-Priest of the newe Testament, and mediatour be­tweene God and man should bee both God & man in the execution of this pearlesse function: God whereby he might preuail by his equal ominnipo­tent power, with the father, and likewise was it requisite he should bee man, that beeing like to his brethren in al respectes, sinne excepted, hee might haue a full experience of all the infirmities, where­with man is beset.

Neyther did Christ what hee did and endured onely in that proportion, as hee is the head and the Church his body, the head with the body mystical­ly, but truely so called: but also in the dayes of his flesh, he and only he satisfied the Law, and that by his personal and proper satisfaction and sacri­fice wee are redeemed from the Law, & ransomed from the curse.

Into this his office vnder heauen nothing must intrude. The Pelagian, the Iewe, the Papist, will finde it a matter of greater charge and cost, than our impure nature, or the impossible Law, or our imperfect works can defray and perfourme. All a­bilities, congruities, dignities, cōdignities, wel­willing, or our best woorking can neuer make vs Sonnes: and when we are Sonnes, we are there­by heires not of a first supposed iustification alone, but heires of al that foloweth after, euen of salua­tion in heauen: The fraction of two iustificati­ons is a fond di­uisiō & a false. that frappet or fraction of two iu­stifications, and of double inheritaunces is but a [Page 144] puppet of Papistes deuising, as if Christes office should haue bin to deliuer vs first that wee might be redeemers of our selues afterward. No no. For we men bring neuer a farding to the paiment, nei­ther of our first as they call it, nor as we speak to our full and finall redemption, and namely to our saluation, to life euerlasting, which is Rom. 6.23. the gift of God.

S. Paul could haue made the diuision if it had bin a right diuision, partly to God, & partly to mā, if Christ could haue parted stakes in a matter of such importance that brought him being very God from the top of heauen and the bozom of his father, that he might be the only giuer, and we but the receauers of our redemption from the Lawe, and adoption to be Sonnes.

The working of the trinitie in the saluation of man and in the assurance thereof.In the woork of our happy redemption see the gracious goodnes of the holy Trinity, by al means woorking a cleare vnderstanding in vs, that we may know and acknowledge both what wee are, and by whom.

The father sendeth the spirit, euen the spirit? of his sonne into our hartes. Wherein we see and obserue the euident * distinction of the persons, and [Page 145] therein the Scriptures are plaine, that the per­sons are three distinctly. 1. The Father, 2. The Sonne, 3. The Holy Ghost. 1. The Father who gaue his Sonne & sent his spirit. 2. The Sonne who gaue himselfe: And 3. whose the spirit is, euen the spirite proceeding from the Father and the Sonne, and these three are one.

In sense I can distinguish many things that in nature differ not, for example: The yee, the snow, and the water, and yet all these three are of one substance, and of a watrie nature. But neither sense nor reason can deal in these cases, it is our Creede. There is a blessed Trinity in a sacred Vnity, Quod lego, credo. I reade it in Scripture, and therefore beleeue it in heart, and leaue off to reason whereof I cannot, and I may not reason.

Well. God sent the spirite of his Sonne into the hartes of vs his sonnes. Sonnes by na­ture, and sonnes by adoption. So that hee is the Sonne, and we the sonnes of God; hee by nature, and we by adoption through Christ, whereupon the Apostle maketh these collections: If we bee sonnes, and sonnes of a ripe iudgement, out of our nonage and wardship of the Law, farewell al ser­uile feare, nay, because wee are sonnes God hath sent his spirite, which crieth in our hartes that which a carnall heart could neuer bring foorth, Abba Father. And because wee are Sonnes, by consequent wee are heires: but how? Through Christ, Sonnes through Christ, Heires through Christ, sealed and settled with that prerogatiue, [Page 146] and most singular priuilege of the holye spirite of Christ.

The Papist like an Atheist iesteth at the spirit of God, in the sonnes of God: but what marueil if men laugh at that, they knowe not what it mea­neth? But if they were the children of God, and inheritours of heauen, they might know, that they are not Christes, who want his spirite, euen this crying spirit.

The certainty of saluation most assured by the spirit of God and other infallible grounds. Heb. 4.A wauering minde hath a stammering tongue in the case of his saluation. But the spirit of christ crieth, and hath an audible voice in the cōsciences of Christians. The Ankerite speaketh simpering­ly & hollowly, as it were with the mouth of death out of his grate, but the spirit openeth and cular­geth our harts, and forceth foorth a bold and a free confession, and therein wee haue accesse euen as Gods deere Children vnto the throne of grace, and not vnto a terrible consistory, or tribunall of feare, but a most gracious Father, and mercifull God.

Alas, alas Popery flyeth after butterflies, and beateth the aire, and aimeth at vncertainties: alas it knoweth neither the right meanes, nor the per­fect certainty of mans saluation. But (brethren) faith is a sure ground: Hope is an infallible anker: with God there is no variablenes: his pro­mises are all yea and Amen: his spirit doth not speake, but Rom. 8. cry thus much in our harts. Neither is it an vncertaine sound, or a false alarum, it is [Page 147] the cry of his spirite. I could dilate and I haue debated these things in a treatise of Nature and Grace, which you haue in you. handes, and there­fore I referre you thereunto, where purposely I haue refuted their chiefest argumentes which either Master Stapleton or Pigghius (both be­ing chiefe Papists) haue brought in this matter, greeuing the spirit of God as much as in them li­eth, The spirit resē ­bled to a seale, whereby we are sealed vnto the day of our re­demption, I say whereby we are sealed. For ther­by are we sealed, and this seale is set and imprin­ted on the harts of Christians.

To an ernest penny,The spirite is also called an earnest penny, a perfect assurance of a greater sum, and a ful pay­ment, which shalbe discharged in heauen. To an inunctiō. Like­wise it is termed an inunction, the annointing of God, whereby we are inaugurated and destrinated to an infallible inheritance certainly reserued in the hands of a strong keeper against that famous day of our redemption. And therefore they who are Sonns, are Heires, and they who are Heires shal inherit. So saith, nay so crieth the spirit.

Papistes seeke to infirme this faith, to weaken our hope, to call Gods promises into question, and with out-cries to confound the cry of the spi­rit. But thou who art the Sonne of God, in thy bozome, in thy brest, in thy heart thou hast, thou bearest a spirit that defieth, and crieth out vpon all doubtfulnes and Popish dispaire.

In the seuenth chapter of Toby, Toby. 5 when young [Page 148] Tobyas came to Ecbatane, and after questioning, Raguel had learned that he was old Tobyas his sonne, Raguel leaped and kissed him, and blessed him, and saide vnto him: Thou art the sonne of a good and honest man. If Raguel did this in re­spect of Tobyas parentage, why doe not our ad­uersaries as Raguel did, and what shoulde Toby the Sonne doe in respect of himselfe, that he was the Son of such a Toby? Yea what, what should he doe that feeleth in his faith, and findeth in his soule, that he is the Sonne, not of a good and ho­nest man, but of the good and louing god? Should he not ioie in hart, or should he feare and tremble, and doubt of his estate? But in the former story Raguel was right sory, and wept when hee was informed that olde Toby had lost his sight, and was blind. Euen so verily, whose hart doth not bleed to see the blindnesse of our aduersaries, that are not only depriued of the light of this comfort, but desire also that no man els may see any more than they doe themselues?

Flesh is fraile, Sathan is a tempter, sinnes do terrifie vs, the law accuseth & accurseth, & popery telleth vs there is no certaine helpe nor hope in Christ, except you merit by woorks: and by what woorks? Or els you fry in purgatory, or purchase a pardon, or kill a Queene, or betray our country, and this is the only compendious method to be assured of heauen: beleeue them who list, for faith­full subiects, and the Sonnes of God cannot. [Page 149] Yet is it more than strange that men can trust in villaines, more than in God who neuer deceiued any that trusted in him. Trust in God (brethren) Iohan. 16.33. Confidite, Mat. 9.2. cōfide fili, trust confidētly. Build thine house vpon the rocke, and dwell in safety, and rest in peace. He will not deceaue his seruants, much­lesse his sonnes. Thou art his sonne, thou hast his spirit, the ernest penny, the pawne, the pledge, the inunction, the cry of his spirit.

A man maie talke of honie, that cannot tast the sweetenesse thereof.I do not deny many, as the Enthusiast, the Fa­mily of loue, and their like, may iangle of the spi­rit, who are not spirituall, may talke of the booke of life, whose names were neuer written in the check and register of Israel. But these proud Ce­dars and great Oakes, that seeme to stand, but stand not indeede, when they fal, their fall wilbee great, and the fiar durable that such fuell maketh: But he that standeth in Christ, shal stand for euer. He that is engraffed into Christ, shall growe, flo­rish, and fructifie, his leafe, his life shal neuer fade. He that is once Christs can neuer be but Christs. A wind out of the wildernesse may ouer-throwe the house where Iobs children were banketing, but Iobs hart was fixed sure, Iob. 18.15. Etiamsi occidat, ta­men sperabo, If God should kill Iob, yet would Iob liue in hope and trust in God: no, the gates of hell, and power of sathan cannot preuaile against the children of God. Of them whom the Father gaue to Christ, he Ioh. 18.9. lost not any one. Iudas the lost childe, was among the rest, but not of them, and [Page 150] when he fell away, he went into his owne place. Wherefore all the time he seemed to be a disciple, and a beleeuer, it was but a seeming and putatiue supposal either in himselfe, or vnto others. It was but a shooting starre, no firm light, a false noyse, no true cry of the holy ghost.

Because the fool thinketh him­selfe wise, and is not: therefore doth not wise­dome know that shee is wise?But what then? What concludeth the Papist out of this? Some may seeme to stand, to bee in Christ, to be Gods Sonnes, to haue his spirit, and all in vaine. True. What then? Ergo the cry of the spirit is vncertaine: Ergo the being and conti­nuing in Christ is not certaine. Yea? There is a difference betweene seeming to bee, and being in­deede. There is great ods betwixt a flash of a fan­cie, and a faithfull perswasion. But how shall I know whether my conceit bee right, whether my vnder standing bee a glimmering light, or a true vnderstanding, wheras a fancifull man may per­swade himselfe as thoroughly as the faithfull? As throughly? Say not so. Or if so, what then? If the mad man standing on the shore, thinke all the vessels that come in, and their lading to bee his, & be deceiued, shall not, cannot therefore the true owners discern their own, and claime their right, bicause the mad man is deceiued? Bicause the sick persons mouth in his distemperature is out of tast, cannot therfore a man in good helth relish his drink & meat? Ioh. 3. Qui credit, habet vitam. He that be­leeueth hath life, he hath it, he doth not doubt whe­ther he hath it or no. He hath life, life euerlasting.

[Page 151] I graunt sometimes euen the best children of God, are brought to narrow straites, somewhat stoppeth their cares, they cannot heare, somwhat dulleth their harts, they cannot vnderstand what the spirit crieth and sealeth vnto their harts at all times alike, and yet they are their Lordes, and they cannot perish, and they must not dispaire.

Dauid Abeit a man according to Gods owne hart, and therefore no doubt a man in whose hart the sport of God was in great measure: yet such is the frailty of our nature, euen holy Dauid, and that after hee had endured many stormes, vp-held with the promise that God woulde place him in the roome of his master, yet at the last hee fainted, and faied in his infirmity: 1. Sam. 20. that there was but a step betweene him and death, surely one day I shal fal into the hands of Saul. And therefore he fled to Achis, and flattered the very enimy of God. Notwithstanding after all this, reforming his frailty, and comming to himselfe againe, he found that God was faithful, and that his promises were certaine, and as constant as the sunne, and vure­moueable as mount Sion, and that euer God kno­weth best, how long it is best to detaine his owne vpon the tenters.

No doubt when, like Dalila, a deceatfull sug­gestion, the subtill finde, a melancholy humor, in­firme fleshe, naturall imperfections, or forceable considerations what euer haue done their woorst, ioyntly all, or seuerally any of them, when they [Page 152] haue learned where lieth our strength, when they haue battered our strongest holdes, when they haue cut off Sampsons haire, yet this haire will grow againe, and his strength returne, and that man or woman whom the Lorde so trieth is the pure and perfect gold, and so in the end wil proue. 1 Cor. 10. [...]. Onely expect we in patience the Lordes leasure, knowing assuredly that God wil make vs a forth, and a way amids al temptations. Neither wil hee suffer his children to be tempted aboue their mea­sure. Dauid had his Goliath, Sampson his Lion to encounter with. God knew the measure of Da­uids courage, and Sampsons strength. Physitions giue the strongest potions to the strongest bodies. And health is most acceptable after the greatest sicknes. And the ioy of the sick soule is then enlar­ged, when it returneth after sorrowe, and then is the cry of the spirite heard with a quicker sense, when for a while it had not beene heard at al. And thus much for the consequent, that because we are sonnes, wee are therefore endued with his spirite, assuring vs though not euer alike, Rom. 9. that we are his sonnes, and heires, because it crieth, and certifieth our harts, that God through Christ is become our father.

The best way of discerning, is euer to compare matters, times, persons, causes, condicions, and circumstances together. Paul taketh this course, and sheweth them, 1. What they were, they knew not God &c. 2. What they are, they know God, or rather are knowen of God &c. 3. And there­fore their relapse is strange to the beggerly Ele­mentes, and thereupon hee feareth their greater danger to ensue.

The effectes of Ignorance.The condicion and state wherein the Galathi­ans liued was in ignoraunce, and liuing in igno­rance of the liuing God, they serued them, which by nature were no Gods. For certes if they had knowen the true God, they woulde haue serued him.

Ioh. 4.The woman of Samaria if she had known with whom she talked, as Christ requested water of hir, so would shee haue craued of him the waters of e­ternal life.

Mat. 25. The wise Virgins had their entrance with the bride, and haue their due commendation, for they were wise. But the folish virgins though virgins, yet because they were fooles and ignorant, reaped [Page 154] the sour fruit of their security, & are reputed there­after, & were excluded when the bride was entred.

Ephes. 2.The Ephesians to whom our Apostle writeth the next Epistle, what were they? How liued they? Read the second chapter. They folowed the sway of this sinful woorld, Sathan ledde the dance, hee went before, and they thronged after, their whole conuersation was altogether, in the lusts and wil of the flesh. Aske yee the reason? They were Ali­ants from the common wealth of Israel, they were strangers from the couenant of the promise, they were in the same case were these Galathians and al the Gentils else, they had no hope, and were very Atheists, that is, men without God. Aske yee why they were Atheists, why they hoped not, why they trusted not in God? The answere is easie, and was laide downe in the woordes before: because they were strangers and vnacquainted with gods promises, Testimonies and Lawes, because they were Aliantes from the statutes and ordinances of his church and common wealth, because (in one woord) they knew not God, therefore they serued false Gods, and by name Diana, and cried out like man men, Acts. 19. Magna est Diana Ephesiorum: Great is Diana the Goddes of the Ephesians.

Read the thirteenth and the fourteenth Chap­ters of Wisedom, and you should see it vouched that many inconueniences, specially Idolatry and the seruice of strange gods and very Idols came in by Ignorance.

[Page 155] And were mens eies in their heads, and their sight cleared and enabled, so as to discerne but in­differently, it were impossible that the wicked inuention, the doctrine of lying, the discipline of vanity, the multitude of Idolatrous seruices shoulde so preuaile, and that men shoulde serue as God, that which is incomparably woorse than man, that man made by his creation after the I­mage of God, shoulde creepe to a materiall crosse, gad to a shrine, say, my father, to a peece of wood, yea that a man purposing to saile the Seas should call vpon a stocke and a rotten Roode, more rotten than the vessel that carieth him. But ignorance is the mistres, the mother, and the nurse of this de­uotion, or rather superstition.

Rom. 4.21. The Romanes because they knewe not God, they glorified him not, but became vnthankful, va­nishing away in their Imaginations. And why? Their foolish harts were ful of dareknesse. And being fooles they turned the glory of God into the similitude of innumerable, increadible and corrup­tible vanities. In this state at the first were the Romans, the Ephesians, the Galathians &c. And al through ignorance.

I could dilate and be long, and enter disputati­on with our known and neerest aduersaries, be­cause of their introducing and bringing in, be­cause of their maintenance and supportation of in­tolerable Ignorance and Idolatry. I know they haue shiftes, and distinctions curiously wrought: [Page 156] but spiders webs cannot holde out winde or wea­ther. The worship­ping of Images. The ignorant is ignorant, hee knoweth not the difference they vainely make of Douly and La­try, and Hyperdouly, and it is a toy, and greeke as we say to the people. And it is greeke indeede and that to the English man, that knoweth nothing but his owne language. And in his ignorance, hee creepeth and croucheth, lifteth vp handes and fal­leth downe, and adoreth all the Images in their Temples, and knoweth litle (God knoweth) what these sorry proportions and terms meane. I aske you, do you know them? Douly, Latry, Hyperdouly? I know you know them not.

O learne to know God, and thou will worship God alone, and in such sort as himselfe hath pres­cribed. But liue in Ignoraunce, and straite thou rangest inordinately, and seruest straunge gods e­uen as the children of Israel, when the onely God had wrought their strong delyuerance, yet sacri­ficed, and gaue the praise thereof euen to a Calfe that eateth hey.

And say not, say not brethren that you, you serue not strange gods for all this. The Israelites sayde they worshipped God when they adored a Calfe, you say you worship God, when you fal downe be­fore the Image of the father, before the picture of his sonne or of his Saintes: but they worshipped strange gods notwithstanding, and so doe you, in that you worshippe God after a straunge manner, which is not Gods-worshippe, but a wil-worship, [Page 157] and an idol of your owne deuising, and that expre­sly against the scriptures, and all for want of true knowledge and by reason of ignorance.

The making of Images. Moses conuenting the people of Israel togither commandeth on gods behalfe on this wise. In the day the Lord spake vnto you out of the mids of the fier in mount Horeb, Deut. 4. you hard a voice, you saw no similitude. Take heede therefore as you loue your soules, that yee make no grauen Image, no repre­sentation of any figure, neither of male, nor femal, nor of any creature. These woords are cleare and plaine, and neede no commentary.

Esaie. 40.The Prophet Esay likewise is as vehement herein as was Moses: all people are but a drop of a bucket full in comparison of the Lord. The woddes of Libanus can neither finde him fuel for friar, nor beastes for sacrifice. To whom shal men liken so woorthie a God? What similitude can set him forth? Shall the Carpenter make him an I­mage, and the goold-smith couer it with gilt, or cast it in a frame of siluer plates?

Or because this is ouer-costly for the poorer sort, what shal the poore man doe? Gette him into the Forest, and choose out a tree, and cause it to be carued out?

O know yee nothing? Saith the Prophet. As who would say, they are vtterly deuoid of vn­derstanding, and that it is an extremely ignorant extrauagant imagination to deeme that any pro­traiture or imagery of better or baser, either mat­ter [Page 158] or fashion can fit and frame out a conuement worship of the liuing and eternal God.

For hath not the Almighty imparted his plea­sure herein, hath hee not made a veile betwixt the seate of his glory, and the earth his footstoole, be­twixt himselfe, and our sightes, that possibly we cannot see & discern him as he is, & therefore must not go about to expres him in a dumb & earthly fi­gure as hee is not? And to whom wilt thou make him like, whom thou hast not seene? Wilt thou make him like to whom hee is not like, and to whom he neither can, neither wil be likened?

A graie headed man is a monu­ment of our mortality, not an expression of the Godhead of the father.The forme of an aged gray headed father with intent to declare his ancientnes, because he is the ancient of daies, is but a good intent falsly called good. For there is no good intention without the direction of true faith, and a right faith resteth on the foundation and ground of the word of god wel known and wisely pondered, and the word of god is full and flat to the contrary, and darest thou vp­on thine owne head make him like an oulde man, whose yeares bring age, and whose age bringeth death? Good Intentes, Schoole distin­ctions, secret traditions are the only foun­dation of ima­ges and image­worship. Any secret tradition added to this intent to bolster it vp, is but a basterd slip, and the watering of it with some few fonde distinctions may make it shewe greene a wh [...]le, but the thunder of gods spirit proceeding from the breath of his mouth, wil blast and wither it, and finally root it out and confound all such deuises so expresly and opposite­ly set against his manifest precept: Thou shalt [Page 159] not expresse God in forme of male or female, or of anie creature.

God the Sonne, is no more to be depictured, thā God the father.And farther, as god the father will not bee pic­tured of thee, nor cannot be carued by thee, so will not, neither can god the sonne bee portraited out more than the father, or otherwise than is prescri­bed. For the sonne is very god of the same sub­stance with his father.

It is replied, that as he was man, so may he be pictured. The historicall picturing of any thing that may lawefully bee pictured, is not the chiefe point of the quarrell betwixt our aduersaries and vs, & yet herein we require their wisdomes great­ly. But in their ignorance they not onely made I­mages, but in the grosse darcknesse of later times Images haue receiued an Idolatrous worship, and this principally, this is that pernicious Po­pish error which we most abhor.

Ioh. 5.39.Search the Scriptures, for they bear witnes of Christ, this is a true teaching. But gaze vpon his Image, were a doctrinne for Demetrius the siluer-smith, for Alexander the copper-smith, for Licippus tooles, or Apelles pensill.

Ephes. 4.10. No warrant for Images in the word of God.Saint Paul intending to shew that our Saui­our ascending on high, notwithstanding left be­hinde him sufficient woorcke-men and spirituall artisans for the accomplishment of the frame and furniture of his Church, to wit, Prophets, Apo­stles, Teachers and Pastours, and yet he maketh no mention at all of Painters and Carpenters, of [Page 160] Caruers in wood, and Engrauers in stone.

Also God hath spoken of old sundry both waies and times by Vrim and Thummim, by visions and dreames, by his holy Prophets: and lastly in person by his sonne, and stil and euer inwardly by his spirite, and outwardely by the ordinarie prea­ching of his word, yea in and to the consciences of natural and wicked men, he hath not left himselfe without a witnes at any time. Among all these meanes, or any other that I can tel, these sacredi­mages are not mencioned. If they were so sacred and holy, so requisite as they beare vs in hande, it were more than a wonder there should bee such si­lence of them.

If Christs perso­nall presence were not requi­sit, why require they so much the picture of his person?Concerning the image of Christes humanity, how can it concerne vs so much? When himselfe was personally present, was it not expedient he should depart? And yet is it so necessary that his corporal image must be retained? While hee was on the earth, were not his Apostles dull of vnder­standing, slow of beleef? Did not Peter deny, Tho­mas doubt, and all fly and forsake him? And while himselfe was in place, his image was needeles, and when hee entred the heauens, he promised the assurance of his spirit, and the assistance of the ho­ly ghost. Of his corporal shape and feature what pattern, I should say, what picture left he, whence nothing is learned though the painter should per­fourme his duety neuer so wel, but onely the out­ward lineaments of his humanity?

[Page 161] Ioh. 20.17. Marie Magdalen was not permitted to touch him after his resurrection. For a fleshly vsage since that time much and since his ascention espe­cially is and was much more inconuenient. For we walke by faith, and not by the outward appea­rance, we serue God in truth and spirit, and blessed is hee that beleeueth, though hee see not his fleshe, much lesse the image thereof. The flesh profiteth nothing, neither eaten with teeth, nor seene with eie. Christ careth little for the gazing of the sen­ses, but for the stedfastnes of the hart, and so farre onely for signes externall, as they bee ordained by himselfe, expresly to such purposes, as his eternal wisdome hath giuen out direction.

D. Clement. Doctor Clement in Oxford when the Church was supposed to haue beene on fier, ranne to the pix, indeede in the pix were many pictures made on the wafer cakes, yea and these cakes he and all Papists like him thinke to be very God, the Son of God, and the second person in the blessed Tri­nity. O grosse ignorance, and greeuous Idolatry, many cakes, many images, many Christs, and yet these cakes, these images, Baruch 6. [...] these false Christs can­not saue themselues (Doctor Clement) much lesse thee out of the fier, as likewise else no image.

Sathan the prince of darkenesse hath a great drift herein to take the booke of Scripture out of mens handes, and to force them to hold vp handes and hang downe head, before a puppet of cloutes, before a titularie image of Christ, and not only of [Page 162] Christ, but of all his creatures, yea the vilest crea­tures, as Saint Anthonies pig, Saint Georges horse, Saint Frances ragges haue their roome and place in the chiefest places of our sacred as­semblies.

There is no point in popery but serueth for gaine.Images make Pilgrimages, Pilgrimages make the pot seeth, and without ignoraunce there would be no Idolatry, and without Idolatry the Popes kitchin would be cold, and the liuing god should bee serued as hee ought and would, and the persons and things which by nature are no gods, should be esteemed accordingly in their owne na­ture, Christians woulde neuer relaps to the first follies the Gentils were borne and trained vp in, and the Israelites and Iewes sometimes for wan­tonnes, and euer for want of good knowledge and true instruction, were tainted with.

But now seeing yee knowe God.) The comfort of true knowledge. Once they knewe not, now they know; they were in darknes, they are in light. And in this light is life, for in their darknesse was death and confusion. And as while Toby lacked his sight, and when Sampson had lost his eies, both were in a comfortles case: so the want of this knowledge of that inwarde sight of God was the he auiest lotte that might be­fall, and the restitution or graimt of this good vn­derstanding was a very heauen of ioy. If labour might compasse it, the traficke thereof were much better than of siluer, goolde, euen the goolde of Ophir.

[Page 163] The Galathians knew, but the Apostle by way of correcting himselfe, or else rectifieng the sense of that saying, addeth that they were knowen of God. For our knowledge is as water infused in­to a vessel, and not as water in the spring where it floweth naturally, and he knoweth not god, whom God knoweth not first, and whom God endueth not with his knowledge. The 7000 that serued not Bal that by nature was an Idol and no God, those 7000 serued God, but therefore they ser­ued him, because he first had King. 19 18. reserued them vnto himselfe.

And no man, yea no man (the case is no speciall case) no man commeth to christ, and to this know­lege of the sonne, but the father driueth, nay Iohn. 6.44. dra­weth him thereunto.

But now for the Galathians being brought to this passe, that they were wel enstructed, after al this knowlege (which was a blessing of blessings ensuing vpon their former ignoraunce) any way to relapse againe was a passing follie, and perfect shame.

And to speake directly to the purpose the Apo­stle prosecuteth, they who were so ignorant, were deliuered not onely from their ignorance, but also from the prison, the schoole-house, the none-age, and seruice the Iewes were detained in, and should they desire to bee in case that the Iewes were be­fore?

They had the body, and they catch after the [Page 164] shadow, they haue Christ, and in Christ, al-suffici­ency, and they wil haue Moses withal. They haue the maister, and they care for the seruaunt. They haue the fish, and they esteeme the shel. They were as men of perfect growth, and they long for the swathes and truckles, and beggerly elementes of the Iewish childhoode. Is not this a very childish­nesse?

The ceremonies at the first were beautiful rites, but being expi­red are but beg­gerly Elements, and al their beu­ty is most per­fectly found in Christ whō they signified.By the way bee it noted that Paul calleth the ceremonies once ordained of God, impotent ru­diments, and beggerly elements, in deed beutiful at the first when they were instituted, as it were a new garment. But now in continuance as an out worne vesture, torne and tottered, and things out of date. Euery thing hath his time. The huske is for the good of the Corne to keepe it in the eare, but when it is winoëd, the huske is a beggerlie chaffe.

And what neede a rich man be a begger, and a begger at a beggers doore? Mat. 9.20. The woman in the gospell had an ishue of bloode twelue yeares toge­ther, went to the Physicions, spent her mony, and wasted her body, and al but scant to some litle pur­pose: at length she came to Christ the Physicion of our soules, and found remedy of her bodilie sicknes. Whereupon I ask, now, were it not more than a folly being throughly recured to recourse to her olde vnprofitable Physicke? To repaire to any Gilead, if ther be no treacle, no healing gome, no souerain balm, no helping medicine in Gilead?

[Page 165] The Apostle for the foresaid respectes feareth least al his former labor with them were but lost. He looked for an 100 fold, for 60 folde, or at least for 30 fold encrease, espectally after so good a feed time. But their ceremonious seruile obseruation of dayes, of the saboth, and of moneths, and years and times, decreased his expectation, & encreased his Apostolique care and feare in their behalfe.

What thinges are abolished in the Saboth, and what remaineth to be obserued on our Christian Saboth daies.And here you see fit occasion is offered to treat somewhat of the vse of the saboth, and holy-daies, 1. There was a ceremonious vse of them, 2. And there remaineth a ciuil vsage and an ecclesiastical order in them among vs yet.

The bond of the ceremony in the Saboth was of a stronger twist to keepe in the Iewes, and they were willed precisely to remember to keepe holy the Saboth both in their minds and in the bodies of al that euer was in their housen. The seruaunt, the stranger, and their cattle were not excluded. This rest so determinatly sette the seuenth day, is not so prescribed to vs Christians, I say so as to the Iewes, whose Saboths had many significati­ons.

The ceremoni­ous vse was va­rious.1 First, their Saboths were tokens they should rest with ease in the promised Land. 2. their Saboths were signes they should rest spiritually with all happines in the Messias to come. 3. their Saboths were figures of eternall felicity in the Land of the liuing.

1 First for their rest in the promised Land of [Page 166] Canaan, so many of them entred that rest, as were of a patient spirit, and with whom God was plea­sed should enter and possesse the land.

2 As for the blessednes in Christ promised, all the promises haue had their accomplishment in him, and in him are they, yea and Amen.

3 Cōcerning the fruitiō of euer lasting blisse, we walke in faith, and liue in hope, and not vp fi­gures: Colos. 2.16. the kingdome of Christ consisteth not in meates, and drinkes, in a newe moone, a sabboth or a peece of an holy day. Euery day is a feast to a Christian man: euery day is Alleluia praise the Lorde, and euery time is a rest, and a saboth vnto God, and therefore the Galathians in restraining mē to such strict obseruations did Iudaize there­in, and it was not conuenient.

The ciuil vse is stil expedient.2 The ciuill vse of the saboth was to prefixe a set rest to men, euen to thy seruant, yea for the very beast, for God is a gracious God, respecting the basest of his creatures. And continuall toyle hath no continuance. As the moth breedeth in the garment that is not worne, so the garment is soone worne-out that is euer worne, and where there is no change at al. Wherefore ceremonieus circumstances being taken away, the ciuill vse of the saboth standeth in force and effect as before.

The ecclesiasti­cal vse is conti­nuall3 The ecclesiastical vse of the saboth remai­neth also much more with vs. For wee haue but changed the Iewes saboth, which was Saturday, into our Christian saboth, which is the lorde day, [Page 167] wherein the Lord rose from the death, and which wee call Sunday, retaining the name gentility was accustomed to at the first. But that forceth not: for christianity goeth not by names. In truth our Sunday is our saboth, and therein albeit a Christian life bee a continuall saboth, and albeit the Iewish ceremonies be repealed and cancelled as appeire either by our altering the day: not­withstanding because God is the author of order, and because he should not bee serued vncertainly in our publicke seruice, our saboth as a set time is wisely set downe, and relligiously shoulde bee obserued.

We read of the Lacedemonians, that by com­mon exercise and continuall endeuour, could de­haue and demeane themselues very warlickly in the camp, but to vse the time of peace they had vt­terly no skill, as if their hands had bin made only to handle their weapons, and themselues born to liue and dye in the leager: semblably many (if yet many) can tell meetely well (I dare not say well) but some can tell right-well howe to trade in the working dayes: but how the saboth and holy-day shoulde bee holily passed ouer, al as poore soules scant the thowsanth man knoweth.

The couetous man hath euer a geob of woork to doe at Church time: the wanton person chuseth that time for his sinnes, when others are best oc­cupied: vaine men and idle fukes, either house it in the Ale-house, or houle it in the Alley, & passe [Page 168] the time at some inordinate and vnlawful disport or other, while the calues of our lips are in sacri­fieng, while the incence of our praying is a bur­ning, while the minister standeth at the Lordes table, Nehem. 8.4. while Esdra is in the pulpit reading and expounding the Law of God.

Priuate praiers exclude not the church-seruice.I knowe men may pray and read at home, and at what howre they list among their priuate fami­lies. But doe you, or dare they contemne the Lords ordinance? There is no ceremonious diffe­rence of daies: true. Yet principally certaine times are fixed to raise vp a mount (as it were) or to build vp a high tower, whither mē may ascend, and many eies togither may looke round about, and take a full view of the goodnes and benefits of God laid foorth and displaid by the interpreta­tion of the Scriptures.

You say yow read at home, and pray at home. If you did, yet is not the congregation to be thus shunned: say so who will, whom I see not vsually at Church, I dare say and do vouch, that his so saying is an vntru saying. If it be night, it may be thou sleepest, if woorking day, it may bee thou art occupied; if it be holy-day, neuer tel me thou prai­est duely at home, that wilt not voutsafe to step out of doores to ioine in prayers with the assem­bly of Gods children, and thy fellow brethren.

Parlor praying, and secret prea­ching at times of publicke seruice.And of al things, that is a singuler pride & nice­nes that is grown in, to turn the Church-seuice only into parlar prayeng, and priuate preaching, [Page 169] euen at those times when the congregation is ga­thered together in publique place.

If Elias were in flyght from the face of Ieza­bel, if Ionas be cast into the Sea, Ieremy into the miry dungeon, or Daniel into the den: in the time of persecution, whether in caues & marishes, or in places whereuer, there is no difference of places. Vnder a Iuniper tree, on the mountaine, in the wildernesse, out of the whalles belly, in euerie place pure handes may be helde vp to that hand that giueth most richly, and casteth no man in the teeth. But still I speake of the Church-prayers, of publique places in times of peace, and of set times in publique places: and that the Church-minister put in vse the practise of his Church vo­cation then and there especially when it is most. seemely, and where the woord it selfe would bee preached and the sacraments ministred.

That the husband man praise God in the field, the girle at her needle, the maid at her wheel, the weauer at his loome, & euery artisan at his trade, or that the father and master of his children and whole housholde reade a chapter distinctly, sing psalms deuoutly, pray togither hartily at home at entry of their labors and end of their daily worck, is an exercise much wanting, & greatly esteemed of God, and comfortable to the soule, and by these good meanes the very working-daies after a sort are turned into a religious continual kind of Sa­both vnto such.

[Page 170] But still I missike that sancifull demeanour in some, in not keeping the publicke Saboth in pub­lick fort. The prayer of one godly man is force­able, but virtus vnita fortior. God who that hea­reth one, wil heare many, and the praiers of many ioyned in one make a more forcible entraunce to the throne of grace, and there is singular comfort in this coniunction.

When we eate, or when wee drinke to satisfie hunger and thirst, it skilleth not: but when simi­liars meete, their meat and drink to them a great deale more good: In the church meetings if men could tast spirituall ioy, as well as they can corpo­ral meats in sociable companies, the comparison is vnequal. I might enlarge and speake directly. But I feare me I haue lost my way, if not my la­bor and intent herein: therefore to return.

For you my (good breethren) that seeme to keep, and I hope, obserue the saboth as you should, you who ioin in praiers with vs, who frequent our sermons, partake gods sacraments, who rest frō sinne vnto God the seuenth day, make ye also the rest of the weeke suceable to this beginning.

For otherwise were it not more than a folly to rest one day in body from labor, & in soul from sin, that the six daies folowing we might run to al ex­cesse of riot, & weary our selues more thā before, & as it were resting our selues, & our horse, a litle, to the intent afterward immediatly we might ride him & our selues out of the way with fuller course?

[Page 171] One day teacheth another: I knew in what meaning the psalmist so speaketh. I vse the words to this sense: let one day teach an other, the holy­day teach the working daye, the sunday the week­daies, the lecture-day those days wherein there is no lecture, Luk. 1.75. that all the daies of our life, with Za­charie and Elizabeth, we may serue God in holi­nes and righteousnes, which is the right vse of the true saboth.

To speake to the obstinate recusant, I recken it lost labor: he is obstinate and wil not: recusant and absent, and cannot heare me: yet I see no rea­son in their recusancy, from our Churches, from our saboth assemblies. I feare some secret Padde in the strawe. I see no reason in the woorlde, nor find any reasonable answere in them, with whom I haue reasoned in this behalfe, and therefore I feare the more, andyet I feare them not, but feare their dangerous recusancy, most dangerous and damnable vnto themselues.

There is vtter­lie no cause in our Church-ser­uice of recusan­cy from Church.What, I pray you, what should thus withheld thē & keepe thē off? The whole body of our seruice whereof consisteth it? What one part offendeth them? The Psalmes we sing, are the songs of the prophet Dauid, of iust Zachary, of the blessed vir­gin, of godly Simeon, and of other holy men. The lessons are taken out of the olde and newe Testa­ment, the collects were framed in ancient time, and many of them vsed afterward euen by them­selues. The rest of our prayers are requestes to [Page 172] God for lawful and necessary vses. Ioh. 8. So that as our Sauiour spake to the Pharisies concerning him­selfe, so may we say of his diuine seruice vnto thē, Who amongst you can reproue our seruice & Church Liturgie, of sinne, that you should thus shun it? But to let them passe who are rather to be compelled with discipliue, than induced by per­swasion, I come backe againe to our selues.

I speak euen now, against pretences of priuate and home-praying: there are others which are content to come, but they come by leysure, & they continue at pleasure.

Comming short [...] diuine seruice. Nehem. 1.7.Our prayers beginne (as you know) with an humble, true, lowly, and necessary confession of our sinnes, the like you read of in the first booke of Nehemias: And who that meaneth indeede an a­mendment of life, & to reuert from his oloe ways, & dailie to go for ward in newnes of life, willing­ly would slacke his presence from such a woorke? And how can your minister request you as many as be present to say with him, when most be ab­sent? There is a neere coniunction in dutie be­tweene the sacrament of the supper, and the sacri­fice of prayer: wherefore let Saint Pauls exhorta­tion preuaile in the latter, as in the former. 1 Cor. 11.33. When you come togither, tarry one for another, that that may verifie in trueth, that we sing at the en­trance of seruice, Come and let vs sing vnto the Lord: come, come altogither.

Tarying out the whole seruice.Now for the continuance to the end, verily god [Page 173] wil not be serued by halfs, a peece of seruice is not sufficient, as it were the Dogge, at the waters of Nilus, touch and goe, lappe and away. No. The continuing is as godly as the beginning, Nomb. 6.24. and the blessing in the ende is as the blessing of Aaron and his sonnes, which God commanded: and al the people euer ioyntly taried for. And this I noted once vnto you, many yeares since, vpon occasion that Saint Luke doth set it expressy downe, that albeit Zacharie taried ouer-long in the Temple, yet they Luk. 1.21. taried & expected his comming forth.

In the daies of Popery, ignoraunce and super­stition, when the Priest stoode a longer time be­fore an heap of stones, you taried and stoode before the Priest attired like the Priests of Aegypt, and you vnderstoode him, no more than you vnder­stand an humble-bee, a sounding brasse, or a tinck­ling cimbal, or any other vncertain noise. Our ser­uice is of a conuenient length, our Sermons are not long, we know your capacities. Small viols must be filled by litle & litle: we teach you precept after precept, line vpon line. The Iews came eue­ry day to the Temple, and taried long: you come but seldom, and the time of your stay is very short.

By brethren, giue me leaue to speak the truth, negligence at first, groweth into a contempt in the end, but wilfull transgressions cannot escape an heauy doome. You know and reade what became of him that gathered but a few stickes on the Sa­both in a high hand.

[Page 174] 1 Sam. 21.6. Mat. 12.1.Ineuitable busines, or vrgent necessity hath no Law, as appeareth in the extremity of Dauids taking the shewbread, & in our Sauiors disciples, that gathered & vsed the ears of corne: but wilfull profanesse cannot escape, we are neither Iews nor papists that iangle of the Saboth superstitiously they knowe not what. We are Christians to vse our saboths ciuilly in charity, ecclesiastically with al piety and holines vnto the Lord.

Paul leauing a little, and yet not leauing the matter, falleth into an Emphatical and vehement personal discourse, 1. Of himselfe, 2. Of the Gala­thians, 3. Of the false Apostles. In these verses of himselfe altogether and of the Galathians, and afterwardes incontinently of their seducers. Of himselfe he sheweth 1. What he was, and 2. What he yet is to them-ward.

[Page 175] At the first hee was their preacher, the argu­ment of his preaching was Christ naked vpon his crosse, not inuested with the Lawe. For hee prea­ched vnto them the Gospel. The maner of his tea­ching seemed infirme. Pauls preching after the plai­nest manner. For Saint Paul as hath heene shewed alwaies altogether respecteth his matter, and he that laboreth words and plausible vtterance most, most commonly least conceaueth and worst contriueth what hee would desire to vt­ter. And the man is very vnwise that more estee­meth the value of a fine mil-sixpence, than of sixe pence halfe-penny of common coine. Paul regar­ded the substance of his doctrine. Hereof more be­fore. 1. Hee preached Christ, 2. In infirmity, and 3. Most constantly amids many trials. The troubles of Christians are but trials. Where by the way note that the troubles of the Saints are but trials. And therfore they were the better born and disgested with great constancy and patience. And that Paul did neither warp in the Sunne, nor shrinke in the water, but as gold that melteth, but melteth not away: so he felt his afflictions, yet he fell not vnder them, but endured his trials what­soeuer. Thus was Paul amongst them first.

Now, what is hee now? Is hee changen? They were changed, was Paul? Doth the Elme forsake the vine, which would otherwise fall, except it bee vpheld? The child is slipt out of the cradle where­in it was laid, doth not the Mother and the Nurse run and stoupe to take it vp?

This is perfect charity and the principal duety [Page 176] Perfect charity omitteth no means to reform mens errors. especially of the preacher to Loue and that conti­nually without interruption, to loue beyond the desert, and aboue the demerits, good or bad of any man, and to giue our life for the brethren, either because they are brethrē, & that they may continue so, or that they may be brethren, if they be not, and to loose euen our life or libertie, which is as be are as life, to win the weake, and so to for-goe and become all, to saue some.

Paul omitteth none, and continueth all means, neither bands or beuty, foule or faile, neither oyle nor vineger. O yee foolish Galathians, &c. This was a rough speech, this was vineger. Brethren I beseech you: This is a faire entreaty and a sup­plying oyle. He both weepeth and singeth with them, and all to imprint a through affection in them toward the trueth.

And in this affection he requesteth them to be as he was, for he was as they were. The request is most reasonable, that they shoulde bee as Paul was. For Paul was right, and they were seduced. And yet Pauls reason for that he was as they were, may seeme no true cause. For indeede Paul was not as they were. Yet so he saith and argueth For I am as you are.

The answere is easie and ready. Paul was in kindnesse to them, as they were to them-selues: but in the syncerity of trueth Paul requireth they should be as hee was, which now they were not. For then what need he desire them to be that they [Page 177] were already? Wherefore in kindnes he was as they; in acknowledging the truth, they were once as he, but were not now as once they were, and as now Paul was.

But least Paul might hee thought to reproue them or thus to request them vpon some priuate quarrel and offence, giuen or taken, and thereby desirous to intimat that they were out of the way, with a greedy and hasty humor finding fault euen where no fault was, vnder a colorable kindnesse, hee protesteth that they neuer hurt him. Naie to shew their kindnes to him ward mutually, he also speaketh directly of their persons, how sometimes they were affected toward him, as he was yet vn­to them.

And speaking of them, he agniseth 1. How they reuerenced his ministery, 2. How they loued his person, and 3. Hee expostulateth and reproueth them that they were estranged without iust occa­sion.

First Paul beginneth with their vertues howe they loued and reuerenced him and imbraced the truth, and thereby sheweth plainly that hee goeth to woork, and dealeth with them vpon no malice. For they loued him, and hee loued them, and for loue hee was bolde to reproue them. The affected affecteth most. And this mu­tuall conceat giueth a good edge to his perswasi­ons.

For as in an awger or a perser the point doeth pierse, yet the handle and the hast helpeth not a li­tle, [Page 178] so in persuading or dissuading, when the mat­ter is (as it were) hatred with loue, and handled with a good liking on both parts, it pierseth the better, and therby taketh an easier forth, force and effect.

And as in war whē it is mollified and softned, first, the print is receaued with the fayrer impres­sion: so when mens mindes are least auerse, and most wel-minded to the speaker, the speech is the deeper imprinted, and soonest preuaileth.

Paul vseth this wise way, and first hee maketh a Catolog of their reuerence, kindnes and loue.

They reuerenced him as the angel of God: and reason. Mal. 2. For the good minister is the Angell and messenger of the Lorde as appeareth in Malachie the second Chapter, and in the Reuelation indi­uerse places: yea they receaued him as Christ Ie­sus whose messenger Paul was. Neither were they alienated from him beholding his troubles, but rather they tooke al that befell him as experi­ences, and arguments and demonstratiue proofes of his inflexible constancy.

The good vsage, or abusinge of Gods ministers God re [...]ecteth as [...]one to him­se [...]fe. And heerein they did their duety. For hee that contemneth the Embasseter, despiseth the sender of the embacie, as 2. Sam. 10. Hanan who abused Dauids messengers, abused Dauid himselfe. And the mi­nistery is an embacy from Christ Iesus, and ther­fore the Galathians did worthily esteeme Paul as Christ Iesus, and therein they reuerenced not so much Paul as Christ, euen as he who receiueth the [Page 179] seruant, receaueth the maister also. Not because he so receaueth the person of the seruant, but ra­ther the function of the seruice authorised and warranted by the master.

In this sense as they reuerenced and receaued Paul, and that with an intensiue and pasting loue, in so much as they woulde haue pulled out their eies, and haue giuen them vnto Paul to haue done him good.

Exod. 32.3.When the children of Israel gaue their eare-rings I say not their eares, but their eare-rings, it was much: the eare is an instrument of an ex­cellent sense, and their eare-rings amongst them were reputed an ornament of the eare, but the eie in respects is better, and to be preferred before the eare: the eie is the guide of the whole body, and the comfort of the life. Compare the eie with the rest partes: thy right foote or hande are necessa­rie members, the one is the supporter and state of thy person: the other the executioner of thy acti­ons: but the eie is the counseler and direction of al thy doinges, yet they woulde giue him euen their very eyes, thereby siguifieng that nothing was so neere, so deare vnto them, as was Paul, as was their preacher, by whom they counted themselues happy, and blessed and verily therein most blessed were they.

But see the change: their loue was as the loue of mother or sister, and their mindes as the soft war, behold this soft war is now as hard as born. [Page 180] And whom they counted their reuerend friende (such is the portion of Preachers) they recken their greatest enemy.

The cause is a causelesse cause, and that which should be a farther cause of a continual loue. Am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth? The sunne is offensiue to bleare-eied men. But the Galathians were egle-eyed, and cannot brook the light of that trueth, they once most deli­ted in. The mad man hateth no man more than his keeper. The foolishmā despiseth most his care­ful teacher. The child abideth no man worse than his tutor. Chro. 10.8. Roboam vtterly neglecteth the true and ancient counsellers his father left. Flattering Prophets that speak of quishions to the Elbow, of wine to the tast, and of silke and pleasing things vnto the eare. Cur opus est teneras mordaci radere vero auriculas? Preach in generalities, thou art a Preacher for our turne and towne: or preach of matters impertinent to men of your owne voca­tion, it liketh you very well also: Impertinent vagrant reproof of the absent, is sooner harkened vnto, than are necessary truths or needefull ap­plications speci­al to the present auditory. but when we be­ginne to open your festers, to powre vineger into your wounds by way of special discreet aduised application with the best entent to better your harts, O you cannot abide that. Yet if we powre neuer so much vineger beside your woundes in­to vocations diuers from yours, and persons which are absent, you say we are bould men, and men of an excellent spirite, as if you would haue vs to be bold with others, where we are not, and [Page 181] not with you, of whom we haue charge. For you wish that we tell the truth, mary not to you. Or if we doe, we may take vp Saint Pauls complaint and say: We are become your enemies, because we tel you the truth.

In the third place, Pauls personal speach is of the false-Apostles, whom he neuer nameth, either not voutsauing to name them that were vnwor­thy to liue, and therefore not worthy to be named: or else purposely passing ouer their names in si­lence, that it might appear to be as it was indeed, no personal grudge on his part.

Notwithstanding on their side, they sided it out in their riuality or procality, as I may so call it, I mean in their wooing ambitious humor they sought to bee in with the Galathians, & to be, & as wee saie, who but they. Things wel vsed being be [...] if you il applie them, there is nothing worse. And to this end were they thus iealous & zealous ouer the Galathians, that the Galathians again might be enamored, and in loue (as it were) with them and their teaching only.

Paul is farre off from finding fault with Zeale, Loue, Care, and earnest Endeuours. All these are good being well vsed and rightly placed. And it [Page 182] followeth of the contrary that these and the like things are too too bad being ill applied. What smelleth sweeter than the well compounded pom­mander? But tast of it, it tasteth bitter, and offen­deth the tast. Drinck wine moderatly, it gladdeth thy heart, take it immoderatly, it giddieth thy head. Infinite are the parables may be brought in this sense.

Infinit siur in perfect trifles is a troblesome toy and no good zeale.Zeale is good wisely vsed in a good matter, and that continually, and not like a fier of brush, or of a bassin of thornes, where is much crackling and litle heat, and that too for a smal time. The good­nesse of the case maketh the goodnes of the zeale, and the greatnes of the Mat. 23.23. argument intendeth the force of our labour imployed thereupon.

Ion. 4.9. Ionas the Prophet lamented more his greene gourd than hee considered the diuastation of all Niniue. Pythagoras thought that the soul of a mā was in the life of a beane, and he was as earnest for the one as for the other. It is good to be very earnest in a very good cause, & the false Apostles were in a wrong opinion, and yet perfectly ear­nest, and what should we be, in a right? My prin­cipal note is, that the false Teachers thought if they could keepe the Galathians from Paul, they could doe wel enough, as the Wolfe offered peace to the sheepheards vpon condition the sheephards would yeeld vp their dogs, thinking if that coulde be compassed, they would deale with the sheepe af­terward at ful pleasure.

I obserued the Apostles tender kindnesse, and singuler loue towarde the Galathians, variously set forth as you see, and diuersly repeated, & in this place vnder the name of his children. Litle chil­dren who are euer cared for of their parents most then, when they they are least, & least able to care for thēselues. A regular af­fectio [...] m [...]e affection. This affectiō was likeliest to affect them. For a man cannot giue to an other, that he hath not himselfe, and he affecteth soonest, that is throughly affected, and it must be a liue cole that can kindle the dead cole.

They were as deere as his children to him, and he was as carefull as their mother for them. For he was spiritually with-child of them. He was in trauell once and againe of them, once was much & again was exceeding loue. But the woman would not loose her lost grote, the sheepheard his scraied sheepe, Paul his former paine and trauell. And therefore he traueleth againe with them, euen till Christ be framed in them.

One matter re­ceiueth but one f [...]e, [...] according to the qu [...] of the [...]This is a liuely pattern of painfulnes to bee in preachers, to be instant and vrgent, & neuer to giue ouer. But the end of our pains is, to frame christ, to imprint Christ in the harts of christians. And as no one matter in the same part of the matter re­ceaueth [Page 184] two formes: so where christ is imprinted, he is im­printed alone. For the superinducting of a newe forme, defaceth the former. And the addition of the Law, abolisheth the Gospell. And as wax and wa­ter cannot mixe togither, so Christ and any thing with Christ cannot meete in the saluation of man, & the impression of Moses dasheth out the inscrip­tion of our Sauior, and except the form of Christ, christians haue no forme at al, and without christ, we are but as the vnshapen Embrio, and the vn­formed creature or matter without his perfection.

For helpe herein to repaire that forme, which was imprinted in thē, Paul wisheth he were pre­sent with them, and because of his absence, he doubteth the rather of their good recouery.

In our Church for the Reformation of things amisse, and for the better establishing the reforma­tion in good and great part is made already, God be blessed therefore, & for the meanes thereof, two learned men haue written their minds, somewhat different, but yet for all that, without al doubt, though the one partwind & twist contrary to the o­ther, yet both parts haue this mind and purpose, to twist and make a coard, that should keepe men in best order.

But this I can auouch, and doe auer by occasi­on of the text, that the due The resi­dence of the minister a most requisit matter. presence & residence of the good minister is the preseruation of the pa­rish, and the absence of the pastor is the bane of the flocke. And if men were indued with Pauls af­fection [Page 185] to cary the names of the tribes and care of soules on their brest and in their hart, they would wish as Paul did to be presēt with their charges.

I know there is a difference betwixt the mere and mixt Non-resident, betwixt a party-care & a plaine security. The mere Non-resident is a rechlesse Creature. The distinction of mixt and mere Non-re­sidents excuseth neither. The mixt Non-resident hath pluralities of liuings, and liueth wel in his common conuersation, and preacheth, happily v­pon one of them, and keepeth the better house there, where hee liueth, by reason of his other liuings.

That such a one keepeth the bigger house, I graunt, but that hee keepeth the better, if better­nes be rightly conceiued, I vetterly deny. For that is syncere and good that is not mixt with euil, and he that robbeth one to pay, or to gratifie another with fuller measure, is no vpright dealer. The husband-man may proine off some bowes, that some others may grow the better and the bigger, but the case is diuerse, & euen like vnto the vnkind father that will starue some of his children, to feed one of them the fatter: & like the vnnaturall mo­ther that will kill the rest of her children hauing many, to make one the greater heire and iollier-fellow.

It were farre better that there were greater regard taken in this behalfe. But remedy this, and remedy all: and remedy not this, and I stand in doubt, I fear least the semynary and seed-men [Page 186] of all euill may preuaile farther, than God graunt they may. Mat. 13.25. For the enimy euer soweth his tares then most, when the husband-man is asleepe, and what will not Sathan doe in the continuall ab­sence of him that should bee continually present with his people, and president of their doings?

I fixe not the pastor as it were the shel-fish to his shell, or like the Moncke vnto his sell. There may be rare priuate necessities & publicke-weale causes of some absence, but the best resolution in such insident circumstances is, that the conscience assuredly knowe, that God is not mocked with vaine excuses whatsoeuer, nor answered with pur­chased dispensations vpon friuolous, false or cur­sory pretenses.

Not onlie the personal pre­sence, but a competency of experienced skil is required in the resident Minister. Paul wisheth himselfe present with the Gala­thians, to the end he might consider of circumstan­ces, that hee might change his voice amongest them, that is, that hee might accommodate him­selfe and apply remedy, as he should see fittest oc­casion.

The Phisicions counsell is good, but his pre­sence is better, alwaies for prised that the Phisici­on be not only a good booke-man, but also a skil­full and a cheereful practisioner.

Iob. 2.13. Iobs frinds when they came to visite him, they sate inconsolably mute and dum, and when they spake at last, they went to work vpon true princi­ples misconceaued and miserably applied.

Better such Physicions kept them away from [Page 187] their parishes. A learned care­ful minister is an inestimable iewel. But the presence of that mini­ster that hath a present dexteritie vpon all occasi­ons, is a precious iewell, that can speake (like the good Lawyer) to the cause, that can finde out the cause of the disease, that can f [...]te his playsters, and apply his Physick, that can handle his spirituall instruments, that can diuide the word aright, that can break the bread to the houshold in due season, that knoweth molles aditus & tempora, that know­eth how to tune and temper his doctrine, sweet or sharp, where to cut and where to supple, when to take a d [...]t course, and where to vse as it were a side- [...] by way of parable like to the woman of Thecua, and the Prophet Nathan. 2 Sam. 24.

The Popish Sir Iohn, the ignorant curat, the sorry hind, the shame of our calling, & the bane of our Church, that speaketh Asdod or Gibbrich, or any language rather than the Scriptures of God in congruent English, and in distinct harty man­ner to our Peoples capacities, is an vnprofitable Sir in the former respects.

Wherein notwithstanding truly my meaning is not to vpbraid any simple, vertuous godly man, that in a competent sufficiency is enabled and doth accordingly his best endeuour, but rather I lay downe and leaue this note to remember the reader, if hee bee a learned Minister, that he of al men most cary the bowels of Loue towarde his parish euen next his heart, and that hee voutsaue them his presence for whom Christ hath dyed [Page 188] and that in such sort as he may best addresse him­selfe (because he best can) vpon all occasions inci­dent vnto his flock, which doubtles are many and of great importance, and that we deale with some particular men sometimes, as Paul wisheth to do here with the Galathians, Act. 20. changing his voice, and as he did at Ephesus, where he admonished them not only in general, but specially euery one of them (as occasion serued and required) daie and night continually, and that with teares in most effectual maner.

In the old sacrifices, the heare and the tongue were due to the Priest, thereby to intimate vnto him, that from the heart sincerely, and with his tongue significantly he was to demeane himselfe, in casrs of conscience, and controuersies arising, & in scruples whatsoeuer, and as matters shoulde he offered, so to minister present remedy, in due sort accordingly, without farther delaies. Nei­ther is it sufficient to leaue some phisick in our pa­rish, and go our way. Aug. Epist. 5. Marcellino. Vindicianus in Austine told his patiēt, that Vindicianus did not .i. that himself being the Physition did not minister the Physick, and therefore it would not woork. In the admini­stration whereof, many circumstances and vari­ous admixtures are required: so in the Physicke of the soule, so in the musicke of the soule, sundry are the receats, and diuersely confected, diuers are the notes, and much cunning requisit in chan­ging the voice, in speaking soundely to the af­fected [Page 189] conscience. But of this, this is but a note.

Paul wished that he might he with them, wher­in is scene the generality of Pauls speciall care euen for the congregation where personally, by reason of his Apostolique office, he could not be stil resident. And verily the mind of a godly hart is a register & a note-booke to remember him alwaies of moe matters than are exposite to the sight, and subiect to the sense. We say, out of sight, out of mind, and that the hart rueth not, what the eie seeth not. But it was not so with our Apostle.

He stoode in doubt of them. He wisheth to be with them. And because that could not bee, he sup­plieth that want, as hee might, by writing, by reasoning, and earnest expostulating matters to the quick with them.

Tell me.) Will ye needes be vnder the Lawe? Are ye wilfull? Doe you knowe what ye doe? Doe you consider, do you see the ways you take? A wise mans eie is in his head. Haue ye not read, nor doe yee not heare what is written in the Law? Lay your hand vpon your hartes, and your harts vpon Gods Law, and speake aduisedly, and say sincere­ly, Tell me, will yee be vnder the Law? Let vs reason a little.

Why the booke of Genesis is comprehended in the Law.You will needes be vnder the Law: wel. It is written in the law that Abraham had two sons, &c.) But wher is that written in the law? By the law here is meant the booke of Genesis. But why goeth that book vnder the name of the law? There are many reasons why. 1. It was written by Mo­ses, by whom the Law was conueied vnto men, & who was but a minister of the Law and of things annexed thereunto. 2. Then in the book of Gene­sis, expresly the Lawe of circumcision is enacted. Thirdly by sundry ceremonious rites, and typi­call shadowes the people of God are in that booke trained, and legally custructed, as namely and in speciall, by the story of Abraham and his family. Viz. by his two wiues. Sara, and Agar, and by his two sonnes, Isaak and Ismael.

In these stories euery thing is litterally true, yet withall figuratiuely is exēplified the liberty of [Page 191] the Ghospell, and the bondage of the Lawe: the condicion of the Iewes, and the stare of Christi­ans.

The mothers of Abrahams children were di­uers, and therefore the one was free, and the o­ther bond. The manner of their birth was diffe­rent, and therefore accordingly the one was after the flesh, the other by promise; the one by nature, the other by special grace. Ismael was naturally borne of yong Agar. And Isaack aboue the course of nature was borne of Sara, euen supernaturally and miraculously.

By these matters are mystically implyed the two Testaments, and the one is Isaack, the other is Ismaell. The one is Agar, the other is Sara. (Is) for is sig­nified. Where note as we go: that the word (is) is taken for is signified. And so is it lightly euer in sacra­mentall and mysticall matters. By the free and bond Mothers and children are signified and sette forth either freedome or bendage. And you must obserue by the ciuil Law touching liberty or bon­dage, that it is otherwise, than by the common Lawe of our nation. By the ciuill Law it is as it is in these exampls: Partus sequetur ventrem: The Childe followeth the condicion of the Mother. If the Mother be free, so is the fruite of her wombe. If the Mother be bord, so are hir Children also. And bondage and freedom are resembled in these Mothers, and therefore also in their children.

Now (as if the Apostle should say) Tell mee. [Page 192] Compare these cases, and tell me, wil ye be Aga­renes? Of whether Testament will ye be? Wil ye be bond? Will yee be natural? Will yee be fleshly? And wil ye be wilful?

Ciuil libertie is of an inestima­ble price, much more spirituall.In ciuil respects, what case more heauy than thraldom? What thing more precious than liber­ty? What? Wil ye but the rope about your owne necks? Wil you like County Egmon in the Low countries make your selues the bridge to bring in a proud lord, that shal cut your throats, or make yee slaues? Are ye so deuoted to your owne harm? This is euen to loth liberty, and to long to bee in Aegypt, and in the house of boundage. Doth any wise man but desire to be a childe in his swathes, when he is once come to perfect age? Or would the iourny-man be a prentise againe? Wisheth the Graduat that hee were in his A. B. C. Would the deliuered person returne to his pri­son? Shall the free-man thirst after his old bon­dage? Shal Saraes children be so much as nursed of Agar? Tell me, shal these similitudes be verifi­ed amongst you?

This similitude of Sara and Agar our Apostle prosecuteth with an other also of mount Sinay & Ierusalem. The Law was giuen in Sinay, and re­ceaued in Ierusalem. Sinay is in Arabia far from Ierusalem, and Sion which God loued.

Agar is Sinay. (Is) marke againe that phrase. Agar which kept such a stur in Abrahams house, is by signification Sinay, where the Lawe was [Page 193] giuen in wind, thunder, lightnings, and in much terror. But Ierusalem is the Church of God, which could tell how to expound the Law of God in Christ, and howe to vse for a time the ceremo­nies, & not euerlastingly to enhamber themselues with them, beeing once deliuered from them, by the comming of our Sauior.

But were not these false Apostles euen from Iury, that abused these Galathians, glorying in the name & title of Moses and of the Lawe? And did not Ierusalem hir-selfe play Agars & Sinaies part, pretending the Law and refusing Christ? True, and therefore the Apostle distinguisheth, and sheweth that there are two Ierusalems, the one which then was, and was [...]. answerable vnto Agar and to Sinay, the other is from aboue & the mother of vs all.

At the first, the former Hierusalem. diuersly taken. Ierusalem of these two was as the second. And many excellent things are spoken of her, but how was shee changed from hir­selfe? She was not she that once she was, euen the epitome, pattern and glory of Gods Church: but now hir wine is turned into water, hir siluer into drosse, hir Temple into a den of theeues, hir City into a lodge of murtherers, & hirselfe of a mother is become a step-mother, & Ierusalem is transla­ted as it were into Arabia, or Sinay out of Arabia is brought into the land of Palestine, & made the very metropolitane City of al Iudea. And Agar, there hath gotten the vpper-hand of hir Mistresse. [Page 194] Wherefore this olde Ierusalem is not any longer the Ierusalem of God, or the naturall mother of his people.

The other Ierusalem is described, 1. To be from aboue. 2. To be free, 3. And so be a mother, indeede the mother of vs al.

That sayeng of Cyprian is in euery mans mouth, that he who hath not the Church for his mother, cannot haue God to be his father. It is a good sentence. For he that is not a childe of the church, is not the child of God. The whole church is the spouse of God, and euery beleeuer is a part of the spouse. And euery one, as in some respects, he hath the resemblance of a child: so in some con­siderations he may receaue the name of a mother, according to the proportion of duty, whereunto he is called. For the whole church doth the mothers duty by some of hir principall members: as Paul did the mothers part in traueling and being with-child with these Galathians, & yet Paul himselfe was a child of the vniuersal Church: and he that is not a member of this mysticall body, is none of Christs, the head, nor of GOD the Father of all.

And God as hee is the Father of all things ge­nerally by his creation: so more specially he is the father of vs his children by regeneration, where­by we are ascited into his Church, and incorpora­ted into the body of his chosen. But this is per­formed from aboue, but yet in the lap and wombe [Page 195] of the Church, and by the meane of preaching, by the helpe of sacraments, and such like benefits of motherly care and prouision in spirituall maner.

And as the good mother doth conceaue and beare hir children, and doth 1 Sam. 1. nurse them too: so doth the Church nurse hir children also: and that with the syncere milke of hir two dugges of both the Testaments, I say, syncere, as being neither mingled with water, nor marde with soute, nor burnt to the pan, but 1 Pet. 2.2. most syncere. [...]. It is hir part to offer it so: and it is your duties so to re­ceaue it so.

Wanton children and vnwise lust after and had rather eate chalke, dirt and baggage, cerimo­nies, rites, traditions and such like stuffe. But these are but false appetites. The true mother and Church will debarre hir children of such foode.

This our mother is a free woman, no Berta, not bond as Agar was, and such as is the mother, such are al hir childrē. For she is not partialy fond vpon some of hir children more, than vnto some. Such then is the state of Gods Church, euen a house-ful of Isaakes; Sara & hir litle-ones: Ierusa­lem, yea a heauenly Ierusalem & hir free children. Not that Ierusalem, that thē was, & now is not, but a free city which was from the beginning, & is from aboue, & for euer, the mother of vs al, the cho­sen of the father, the elect of God, and the Catho­licke Church.

[Page 196] 1 The Romish stepdame chalengeth these priuileges, and layeth claime to this motherhood, 1. King. 3.22. euen as truly as the harlot before Salomon made title to the other womans child, whē she had stifled hir own, and had rather the child should be diuided a-sunder than she would seeme to loose hir preten­ded title. And so our mistres of Rome, had rather al christendom should be diuided & rent in peeces, than that shee should not seeme to bee that which shee is not; the oecumenicall and catholike mo­ther of al the world. Yet 1. shee is Romish, and how can shee be Catholicke? 2. Shee is too too ceremonious: she cannot be free. 3. She holdeth by the visibility of the place, and therefore is not from aboue, as our mother is, which is most 1. Catholicke, 2. and 3. Spirituall.

The Church of Rome is not the Catholicke Church.1 Will you that I examine this womans claim a litle? The Romish Church is but a parti­cular Church, if yet it be a Church: and if shee be a mother, she is a mother in the Churches behalfe at Rome, and not the mother of vs all. Paul ma­king mention of our generall mother, hath not the least reference in the world to Rome at all.

As Augustine saith, touching the Donatistes, that would compasse Christs kingdome within the territory of Africk, Ager non est Africa, sed mundus: so we tel the Papists: the fielde of Gods Church is not included, neither in Africk, nor Italy, nor in places annexed and tied necessarily to any one place vnder heauen.

[Page 197] A local conceat in cases spiritu­al is a mere fancie.It is a special error of the wicked to put confi­dence in places more in some, than in some, & that with great contempt of some places, whom they will not like, or doe not loue, or cannot fancy.

The 1. King. 20.23. Aramites being conquered in the moun­taines thought, that some speciall gods were pro­tectors of the mountaines.

Nomb. 22.41. Balaack caused Balaam to change his stand­ing twise, as if the effects of blessing and cursing stoode only, or rose only out of the places.

How disdainfully speak our aduersaries, as the Iewes did of Bethleem and Nazareth, so they of Witenberg, Tigurine, and Geneua, and of Brist. Replie to D. Fulke. Pag 120. Rome so proudly, that any indifferent man may soone discerne the spirit of Antichrist, & the tunes of hir that sitteth as a Queene and mother of spi­rituall fornications vpon the seauen hils, and be­ing but a particular place, challengeth to be the Catholicke Church of Jesu Christ, and mother of Christians.

The motiue of Names.But doe not men call the Romane Church the catholicke Church? Indeede they call themselues so, as Iezabel called hir selfe a Prophetesse to teach the trueth, beeing in trueth a vile witch to seduce the people, and to make them to commit fornication.

The minister of Sardi had a name to liue, but he was dead. In the Gospel Ierusalem is called the holy city then, when she had polluted hirselfe, and became profane.

[Page 198] Bad names fained vpon men by enimies, proue nothing. And good names shew a duty of doing, they proue not the doing of duties. The Romane Church should be catholike & sound in the truth, she cannot be catholcike for direction of the truth in all the world, necessarily she, more than other places. For God that accepteth not persons, ac­cepteth not places. Act. 24.14. If things went by names, Paul should haue bin an arch-hereticke, & his eni­mies should haue bin the friends of truth.

Our To the reader. Robert Points in his Testimo­ny of the Real presence. Countriman Robert Pointes thinking this motiue of names able to moue mountaines, and desirous to haue themselues fairely cleeped and vs skornfully by a name reproched, and spe­cially for that wee are commonly called Prote­stants, either wilfully or witlesly abuseth & cor­rupteth the woordes of Scriptures to his foolish purpose, and saith: 2 Par. 24. Quos protestantes illi audire nolebant. In the 2. of Chronicles the PROTE­STANTS, forsooth, would not hear the prophets which God sent vnto them. In which few words (saith Master Pointes) the malice of our chiefe Protestants of our daies is manifestly prophe­sied of, and plainly described. And this he vouch­eth to be an admonishment both in name, and conditions expresly of their (the Protestants) ex­treme malice and stubburnes.

Of such motiues I doubt not, yee haue good store, as The displaieng of Protestants in prol. P. 2. Miles Huggard Queene Maries hosi­er, bodged vp to your hands. But I had thought [Page 199] that the name of Protestants had not beene so an­cient, and we gesse the books of Chronicles were not written in Latine so expresly to hit vpon the name of Protestantes, and we take that the mat­ter you alleadge, is a flat story of the present fact, & not a fore-prophesieng of a future euent. And we tel you, and by occasion of your falsifieng (ma­ster Pointes) we tell the woorld you haue told a tale of a tub, of the man in the Moon, and of Pro­testants of your owne making.

How and when the Name of Protestantes came first vp.May it please you (brethren) to bear with me, and in a woord I shall shew you both why we are named Protestants, and what the name of Prote­stants meaneth in that place of the scripture. For Master Points is quite beside the Text.

In the yeare of our Lorde Sleid. Com. lib. 6. 1529, after sun­dry debateings precedent for the reformation of things amisse, and some agreement accorded vp­on in that respect, yet it was put in the head of the Emperour how to deuise for a contrary course to be taken in a meeting at Spiers. Whereupon the Princes of Germany were constrained to frame, & did frame out their lawful Protestatiō. A thing vsual and known in euery common court to pro­test against the iniquity or nullity of proceeding. So did these Pieres, Princes & Nobles of Ger­many & others associating themselues in so iust a cause concerning the honor of God and glory of his name. Whereupon the name of Protesting and Protestantes was not vnwillingly accepted [Page 200] of al who misliked disorders. And so it became a common appellation vnto this day. And this is the true original, or short and plaine narration to the demaund and motiue for the name of Pro­testants.

Now for the allegation of Points his Scrip­ture (and so may I cal it, for the scripture it selfe is to another sense) and if his grammer woulde serue him but to conster the woordes, he would soone haue seene his palpable error.

Verily, the meaning is that God sent his Pro­phets, and his Prophets went and protesteth the wrath of God, but there were (not Protestants) but there were that would not giue eare to the protestations of the Prophets, quos Protestantes, illi audire nolebant. There were, that woulde not hear the Protestants, and these Protestants were Gods Prophets. Religion goeth not by Names. And hence if we would trifle in names, we might make a faire shew by the name whence foolishly he seeketh our vtter shame. But it is too vaine a labor to argue of names good or bad, the one way or the other.

But backe againe to our purpose, what euer we are called by you or otherwise, are you called the catholick Church? Who calleth you so? Your selues. We doe not. But suppose you were so cal­led. Thinges goe not by names. For then, as the country-man saith, we should haue no Wood-hens, for all the birds of that kind are named and called Wood-cockes. And were he not then a [Page 201] proper wise man, that woulde ground his reason vpon common speach? This were good for your Popes, who hauing ill fauored faces, and wrie­mouthes, and woorse maners, and yet when they can gette and clammer vp into the Papacy, they change their names into words of flattering sig­nification.

But you see names are not forceable proofes, neither against others, nor for themselues, either for the goodnesse of their verie Popes, or for the Catholicknesse and Motherdome of their Church.

The Rhomish dame is too ceremonious to be the free Mother.2 Secondly as the Romane Church being at the most, when she was best, but a Church, and therefore not the Catholique whole Church, so Rome as she is now, she is too seruile a dame to be the Mother, of those who are free, and freed in christ. She is too Ceremonious, too Slauish, too Peeuish in her Ceremonies, and God which hath abolished his owne rites, must needes abhor her trinkets which seeme to some faire, and greatly adorning, and gracifieng all, like the Iuy about the Tree, which in the ende will be the death of the tree it embraceth.

What are hir Duckings, Beckings, Fiskings vp and downe, apish Illusions, infinit, endlesse, and purposelesse Obseruations, with terror of Conscience, and trouble of mind, onely occupied and set on woorke with friuolous wil-worships, and fond conceats in euery thing to draw men [Page 202] from a solid and sound vnderstanding of the sub­stantial points of true deuotion? Col. 2. Touch not, Tast not, Handle not, Eate not, Marry not now, but when we appoint; not you, but you whom we per­mit, and al vpon pain of damnation & peril of sal­uation, in as many as misse the heauenly hestes of holy Rome. Is this the spirit of Christ, pacifieng our minds, or rather intangling our soules with so many wind-laces?

The true worshippers Iohn. 4.23. worship in spirite and truth. And what spirit is there in these and these like toyes? There is no substaunce, no truth, no graine, but all chaffe in these eares, in these filly-follies. Reply to D.F. Pag. 119. No maruel if Bristow require in Christi­ans not the spirit of truth, but the spirite of obe­dience: but of what Obedience? To what? And whom? If men were but meanly directed by the truth, it were impossible they shoulde so obedi­ently delue and dig, and so grouelingly serue in the mines and misteries of slauery it selfe. Wher­fore because Rome is not Catholicke, because Rome is too too be-spanged and set about with Ceremonies vnfruitfully, therefore she is none of our Mother, nor we her children.

3 The Catholick Church is not locally tied to any territory. The motiue of the visibility of the Church. Both for the consideration of Catholicisme, and also for that shee descendeth FROM ABOVE, and is by grace, and holdeth not of any place, and looketh vpward, and seeketh those things which are aboue, and setteth hir af­fections [Page 203] on heauenly things.

There is much adoe about the VISIBILITY of the Catholicke Church. May I tary you now in sifting somewhat more that question a while? Paul describeth the Church to be from aboue, spiritually, by speciall fauour, and reflecting a­gaine vpward in inward hartines and requisite dueties.

Our aduersaries seeke hir on earth, and re­quire hir to be liable to the ey, and locally visible, and that in Rome as Hierusalem was in Iurie, where God for a time was best known.

We speak of the catholique Church The Catholick Church property taken, what it meaneth. which is the society or company of all the Saints of God, of al times and places, the whole body whereof cannot bee seene, nay the meanes whereby any part of the Church is made a part and continu­eth a part thereof, is secret, inward, and inuisible: and the certainty thereof is an article of faith, and not obiect of the ey sight. Credo Ecclesiam, not Video Ecclesiam. I beleeue that God hath a cho­sen Church, and that the Lord knoweth who are his, though I discerne it not by sense. For the glory of the Kings Daughter is from aboue, and it doth not, but shall appeare to euery one who be who.

Visibility is not of the Nature, but of the duety of the Church.Wherefore visiblenes to be seene is not neces­sarily of the nature of Gods chosen. Notwith­standing men being chosen of God, and coapted into the number of his Saints, of duety must not [Page 204] conceal what they are, but publikly, openly and in a visible order euery man according to the pro­portion of his calling is to keepe and retaine a seene and a sightly exercise of his profession.

And yet times in places may go so hard, that a man might seeke and not finde an euident face of true professors in publique maner, The complaint of Elias discus­sed and vrged. as in the daies of Elias, when he complained that he was left a­lone for ought he knewe. Wherein I note that Elias knew not of any moe, if you wil, of no moe Prophets: for what if wee graunt to that our ad­uersaries sorry cauillation, that Elias was left a Prophet alone. What? As he knew no moe pro­phets beside himselfe, so he was hid from the sight of others, and no man knew what was become of this Prophet. Then was the Church left with­out a Prophet to see too, and where was then the forme of a Church visible, keeping hir outward orders in apparent aspectable shew?

Master Stapl. de doct. Prin. l. 2. c. 13. Stapleton and the rest shift in this case, but shifts will not serue. They except, that if it might be thus in the kingdome of Israel, yet the Church was visible enough in the tribe of Iudah. This is but a poore shift. For Israel was not so bad sometimes, as Iudah, and Iudah no better than Israel. And euen in the dayes of Aza much about these times, 2. Chron. 15.2 when Aza came to the crowne of Iudah, Azariah telleth the King, that if God be sought after, he will be found; but if he be forsaken, he wil forsake euen Iudah too.

[Page 205] And when Elias fled out of Israel, hee fled not to Iudah, as knowing whither to goe, and where to ioyne himselfe in the society of a visible Church, but passing by the confines of Iudah, he left his man in 2 King. 19.3 Beersheba, and himselfe fledde into the wildernes, and there complaineth, that he was left alone.

And least this complaint may seeme only to be the affection of a watery eye, and of a troubled mind that could not discerne that which might be discerned, and so not to bee stoode vppon by vs, that so much alleadge it in this cause, obserue that God in aunswere to Elias told him that he had reserued 7000 to himselfe, and our aduersa­ries to shew that Elias complaint was imperfect and vntrue, they vrge this aunswere of the 7000 reserued: but can they marke withall, that God saith, he had reserued them to himselfe, not in the sight or to the view of Elias? For Elias lied not, but God kept them to the secret knowledge of himselfe.

And can they yet farther mark for an vnāswe­rable answere to their oft Sander. visib. monarch. Pag. 207. replyed and & P. 295. multi­plied triumphing cauillation, that when we (no doubt) vnduely force this ensamble for the inui­siblenesse of the Church, yet euer this (they say) was but matter that touched Israel, and the ten tribes, but Iudah and the whole Church it did not concerne, I say, can they mark that the Rom. 11.4. ho­ly Apostle Saint Paul vseth this very ensample [Page 206] to the very same purpose that we doe?

For the Iewes seeking their owne righteous­nes, missed of Gods righteousnes: and though they hard the Gospell, yet they gainesaid it, and were a disobedient people, and therefore God re­fused them, who at first refused him.

Whereupon the Apostle questioneth in effect thus as I take it: Did God reiect his people? And were they reiected? And were the people that once were his people, now no more his people?

His people and his Church, in sense and sig­nification is al one. If God had no people, he had no Church. But he had reiected and cast off that his people, where was then his Church.

The Apostle aunswereth himselfe one way for the future time by receauing in of the Gentiles, and another way for the present time, that albeit the Iewes were cast off, yet God had a Church. What, a visible Church? No, but he had a rem­nant, and that remnant, where euer it was, was his Church, and that Church was secret, seen and discerned only of God, and this Church and rem­nant was exemplified (saith Paul) by those secret 7000 reserued by God inuisibly, as in the daies of Elias, so was the state of the Church thus inui­sible, and so shewed and expounded to be by the A­postle and by this very example of Elias time. What say ye? Is it not so?

Questionles our aduersaries see as much as we tel them, but euery mā must fetch his light at [Page 207] their candle, Romes visibili­ty is but a sight­ly mart of Religion. and therefore their light must needs be a blazing star, and their Church not only a vi­sible Church, but a visible Monarchy withall.

And they seeing that God is lesse bound to them than to Iudah and Hierusalem, and that if Ierusalem might be ecclipsed, much more might Rome, and therefore they say that the Church in Israel was inuisible, but not in Iudah.

But why is God more linkt to Rome than to Israel? Wel, Israel by their own confession might, and did loose her beuty, and Paul alleadgeth that for the secresie of the whole church reserued to the sight of God, and not vnto the eies of Elias.

And al the Scripture is plaine that Iudah did sometime iustifie her Sister Israell in sinning more excessiuely, than did shee, and that God was not bound to keepe either the one or the other in his visible seruice whether he would or no.

Of al the places where God hath been chiefe­ly worshipped, principally in Scripture are na­med three: Bethel, Silo, Sion. A word of euerie of these.

Bethel. Bethel is by interpretation the house of God, and Bethel was the gate of heauen, and in Bethel was the ladder whereby the very Angels ascen­ded and descended from God vp and downe, not­withstanding euen in Bethel Ieroboam set vppe the goolden calfe. The matter was goolde, the charge great, the entent faire, but the calfe was an idol, the intent was irregular, beside and a­gainst [Page 208] Gods word, Hos. 10.8. and so Beth-el became to bee Beth-auen, and of the house of god was made the house of iniquity, and the ladder of discention in­to hell it selfe.

Silo.Concerning Silo, Iosue placed the arcke there, where it remained 300. yeares: but sundry enor­mities arising, and when Hely once suffered his youthfull sonnes to rome at riot to the great re­proch and shame of Gods sacrifices, what ensued? His sonnes were slaine, the Arcke was taken, He­ly brake his necke, the place was a desolate place. For the Lorde forsooke his habitation in Silo where he dwelt among men, Psal. 78. hee refused the tents of Ioseph, and his seate in Silo.

Sion.Touching mount Sion and Iuda, God indeede more singularly chose him a seate there, because he had a fauor thereunto, he loued it, and therefore he chose it.

Dauid prouided brasse, iron, stone, wood, and timber, Dauid defraid siluer, and much gold, to­ward the fabrick of a place for God, but Dauid a man much according to Gods owne hart, yet Da­uid was not the man that shold make out and per­fect that frame.

But Solomon by name, the Prince of peace, and the man of rest, expresly in the worde of God vnto Dauid was the wise man that was appoin­ted to this woorke.

And when the temple was built, the Lord most gloriously appeareth to Solomon, & with his pre­sence [Page 209] sanctified the holy place, and spake vnto So­lomon on this wise: I haue heard thy Prayers: I haue hallowed thy house, which thou hast built to put my name in it for euer, & my hart & mine eies shalbe there continually.

Hierusalem,Yea to say generally of the whole citty, many glorious and excellent things are spoken of thee ô Ierusalem. The Prophets taught in thee, the ofspring of Dauid raigned ouer thee, the fore-fa­thers of blessed memory, and linage of beleeuing Abraham were thy cittizens, al the godly sacrifi­ced there, and the sacrifices were commanded of God, and continued from Moses time.

No priuilege of any value, nor promise of good thinges was anie way defectiue, or wanting to that place, whereunto no place was compara­ble vnder heauen, it beeing the very pledge of hea­uen it selfe, and the onely place where the God of heauen delighted most.

But lo, the ofspring of the first man Adam, who when he was in honor was as a beast, & fell from his innocency, and became a foole, and was disobedient, and therefore was turned out of pa­radise, and the earth for his sake cursed, that was made good a little before, lo I say the chil­dren of Adam, and Sonnes of a sinfull Parent, euen the inhabitants of Ierusalem become like their first father, and abusing the Lords kindner, they suppose that the Lorde was in-loue with the walles of their Cittie and Temple, and sitting [Page 210] securely vnder the sommer bower of this conceit, though they committed Robberies, Murders, Adulteries, Idolatries, worse than Aegypt, though their Prophets taught lies, and their de­ry children gathered stickes, and their weomen kneaded dowe to make cakes to sacrifise to the Queene of heauen, yet they thought that they, the spouse, they could not be diuorsed, hee would not plucke off that precious ring from his finger, suf­fer the girdle of his lomes to rotte, tread his own crowne vnder his feete, abhor his inheritance, forsake Hierusalem, plow vp Sion, and refuse the Temple.

He could not, or hee would not. No? The Prophets forewarne the contrary, Ierem. 26. and namely Ieremy, that except they repent, that god would turne their blessings into cursings, & make that blessed citty (otherwise beeing the praise of the world) the extremest curse, and the very shame of nations.

The Iewes could not beleeue it, but the Iews felt it in the end, and feele it to this day, and euer­since the two shee bears Titus & Vespatian ruina­ted their citty, famished their people, wasted their land, and made hauock of all, they are a vagabond nation in the eies of all the world.

This is an vndeniable verity. And that which fully fell vpon them at the length, fell vpon them as well for their former as their latter sinnes in forsaking their Lord, in polluting his Temple, [Page 211] in defiling the priesthood, in killing the prophets, in one word, in diuorsing themselues from God, and in breaking themselues from the stock of the naturall oliue, whereinto they were engraffed, & so of a people became men that were not Gods people, and of a church became no church, much­lesse the visible Church of the liuing God, and yet God still had a remnant, but this silly secret remnant proueth not the visibility wee dispute of.

Wherefore when no shifting can possibly put off the euidence whereby we shew, that the shew of the Church is not euer in sight, and that the clamorous cries, Ierem. 4. ô the Temple, the Temple are lying words, and will not serue their turne, and that the true Church may be ecclipsed, as in the daies of Elias, expresly, 1. By the prophets deposi­tion, I am left alone, 2. By the answere of God, I haue reserued 7000. To my selfe. 3. And by the exposition of Paul: that the church was brought to be a secret remainder; when nothing wil help indeed, though Sanders set a faire face, and a big looke vpon the matter, yet he, master Stapleton, Eisingrinius & the rest that haue dealt in this ar­gument, are fain to come to this point, that albeit the case might be so with Ierusalem, & was with her in the end, yet since the propagation of the Gospell it cannot be so with Rome, and Rome cannot, shee cannot be remoued, shee cannot, not cannot in congruence of hir own dewry, or like­lyhood [Page 122] in opinion conceaued once of her, but pos­sibly she cannot be deuorsed at al.

Let vs hear one of their own beasts bray out such bold sounds in his owne voice. Bristow in his re­ply, or rather in his fumbling confused hoge poge to D. Fulk hath these words: Brist. replie Cap. 8. Par. 2. The synagog with her Hierusalem might be and should be diuor­sed. But the Church of Christ with her Hieru­salem (which is Rome if you haue any sight in the Actes of the Apostles) shoulde neuer, nor neuer might, nor may be diuorsed.

For our insight in the Actes I haue said suffi­ciently before. Supra. Pag. 70. And against the church of Christ we haue no quarrel. But the Iewes might be di­uorsed, we take your confession and it is true. Yet you oppose the church of Christ to the condicion of the Iewes. We tel you, though the externe face of the Iews be gone, yet in Christ there is neither Iewe nor Gentil, and as most notoriously the na­tion of the Iewes fel away, and the Gentils were receaued into their roome, so yet when they were receaued, they were accepted, not as it were ano­ther Iewry, and that to the end that locally God might be serued among the Gentils with a newe erection of an other Hierusalem which should be Rome. No. Rome is too Psal. 2 narrow a room for the church of God, neither wil God be so locally wor­shipped as when he was onely known in that one corner of his owne choise.

I cannot tell what to say to these fellowes. [Page 213] Rome hath no more promises than the borrow of Abington. The Iewes were beguiled, but the Romanistes are be witched. The Iewes might seeme to haue more cause, but verily shee was lesse presumptu­ous, than are these Romish louers. Ierusalem had many promises: Rome hath not one, no, no one more she thā the least borrow, village, or hāblet a­mongst the Gentils. Rome is praised in hir youth I graunt, yet no otherwise than other 1 Thes. 1.8. churches, but that Rome that was, is not the Rome that now is. She was a chast virgine while shee was young, but hir old bones now are rotten and pu­trified with innumerable fornications, and her praises in hir highest honour were neuer compa­rable to Hierusalems estimation. Why? Peter taught in Rome. What then? Christ taught in Hierusalem. But Peter was martyred in Rome. And what of that? Christ suffered at Hierusalem. And I take it the death of either is rather is the shame, than the praise of the places. But where, in what one place not only in the Actes, but in anie place in all the Scripture is Rome termed the Hierusalem of the Church? Or why is god bound to a visible Church now made vp of the Gentiles more than hee was to the Iewes? for to speake of Peters rotten chaire at Rome, is a roming va­grant imagination.

Nay, are not the promises of God made with the same couenantes of duety, and with the same condicions and prouisoes of forsiting our estate, like as did the Iewes, if we shal do, as they did?

[Page 214] The ensamples of the old Te­stament are warnings vnder the new.If God forsake Bethel, is that nothing to Si­lo? Or if God forsooke Bethel and Silo, is that to be neglected of Hierusalem? Or if Hierusalem, Sion, Silo, and Bethel be all forsaken, is this not to be regarded of the Gentils? Cannot, shal not, may not, the church made vp of Gentils with her Hierusalem, which is (pardy) Rome, be diuorsed? May she not, can shee not, shal she not be diuor­sed?

If Sem shoulde bee thrust out, and Iaphet ad­mitted, were this no enstruction to Iaphet? Or why are the 1 Cor. 10. ensamples of former times writ­ten? Or is God the God of the Iewe and the God of Israel to take vengeance where they sinned, and not on the Gentils? Or brake hee off the naturall Oliue, and will he spare the wild? And to whom by name were these last words written? Were they not written to the Church at Rome, Rom. 11. where she stoode in case then to be broken off, which is a word equiualent and of like meaning to the word of diuorsed?

I graunt shee may crie out the Church, the Church, the visible Church, the Mother-Church, and yet the Romish papacy is but a ly­ing strumpet, and a harde stepdame to the true members of the Church of Christ, and this is the mystery of iniquity sitting in the Church, or as Saint Austine saith: Aug. de ciuit. Dei lib. 20. c. 19. In templum Dei, for and in steed of the church, and is not the Church, but an Antichristian company, so that the visible brag [Page 215] and shewe of the Church is not the Church, and that 1. Is one point in this question, and 2. The other point was that God is not bound to a visi­bility at all, and for both points wee haue shewed sufficiently. For for that of the inuisible case of the Church, the complaint of Elias is pregnant, and then that numbers bearing the name of the Church, and bragging of the Temple, are but ly­ars, is prooued by the Prophets and Scriptures to haue beene exemplified euen in the best places, and whereof in special Rome hath a fair warning by the Apostle to the Romanes.

We doe not deny, but professe and thank God therefore, that hitherto since the ascention of our Sauiour, Mat. 15. the little musterd seede hath growen to that height, that the litle birds haue made their nests therein, but the puttock, the kite, and birds of cruel kind haue come to their nestes, and dealt hardly with the small foule, yea they haue taken their places, and their owne possession, and that vnder faire pretences no doubt. And the Church and kingdome of God, being of condition as the waters of Siloe at the foote of Sion, running soft­ly, shee maketh small noyce, when shee receaueth great iniury, yea euen when the Scote & Otter haue taken vp their lodging in her tree.

For if we reuolue such stories of ancient time as but scriueners and writers could afford vs when printers were not, and while no enemies wanted, yet shall we find that the spawne of here­sies [Page 216] was infinit, and to this day we see the num­ber of infidels are without number, & alas what discerning coulde there bee of some one graine, or two in comparison amongst so much chaffe?

At such seasons, when the whole church, as the Church of Sardy, had defiled her clothes, Reuel. 3. that is to say, that outside, and outward sight and shew of her selfe, might not Bertram in Germany, Hus in Bohemia, Sauonarola in Italie, Wicleue in England, Armochane in Ireland take vp almost euen Elias complaint, that they were left alone? And this was an old course of most ancient time, to see the church brought to a narrow strait and a low eb.

In the dayes of Noe but eight persons were left when the find came. In the time of Lot he a­lone and a few of his were saued when whole fiue cities were destroyed, and as Elias complayned that he was alone, so Micheas stoode post alone a­gainst foure hundred, who were called Prophets, as well as hee: and if then, as many tymes else, a man should haue be-taken himselfe to the more visible number, should he haue done well?

But you say in the new Testament, euer ioine to the most that professe the name of Christiani­ty, and you cannot misse.

In deed, I know that the The motiue of multitudes. Motiue of multi­tudes and generalities is linckt in with the de­maund of the visiblenes of the Church. For euer the mo, the more visible. And you thinke you haue [Page 217] the greater number, and the mator part, yet how long you shal keep them, God knoweth, but ther­fore you argue, that the truth should be ouerborne with the number of your voyces, and the visible­nes of your glory, because your pomp is great, and your number many, and the waters innume­table where the whore sitteth.

Giue me leaue a litle, and pardon mine vnac­customed length in these quarrels of great im­portance: for as I wish to open the very truth, so would I not willingly pretermit their pretenses of truth for maintenance of error.

While they run alone, they are euer foremost, and when they buz into your eares, and you heare no man but them, what maruell if they seduce them that are ready to be missed?

Actius the Poet.When Actius an old Poet plaied on the stage, he pleased euery man very wel, when hee pleaded at the bar, he neuer got cause, and being demaun­ded the cause thereof, his aunswere was, that on the stage, hee made euery mans part, and no man spake, but what he deliuered them first, and gaue to euery one his kue, as himselfe thought best: but saith he, in the pleading place, I cannot carry it so away. Mine aduersary replieth, opposeth, aun­swereth, and sifteth matters so, that I cannot bolster vp a had cause as I would, but it will be controlled.

I neede not apply: our aduersaries when they plead alone, they please fond recusants: when they [Page 218] plead in writing, it wil not prosper, as in the pre­sēt questiō. For though the name of the church be honorable, yet when the spiritual nature therof is enquired after, when it is knowen what is ment by hir Motherhoode, to what condicions shee is hound, and to what straites she hath bin brought and may be againe, then our aduersaries cannot tel whither to turne them, to proue a visible ioyli­ty necessary euer in determinate places.

At length with much adoe, being forced to for­sake the practise of the old Testament, they flie as you haue hard to the promises of the new Te­stament, and finding none for Rome directlie (notwithstanding Bristows brag) they claim the promises generally made to the Gentils ful fond­ly for Rome, being but a particular member, and infer that vnder the new Testament the number of the professors shal be mo, and therefore more vi­sible, and that most and euer in Rome. That they shall bee moe, they proue by the next verse wee meane to proceede in, which we will take along with vs and so go on.

First before wee treate any farther the questi­on, consider the text a while to our own comforts. In the first of Samuel, Anna the mother of Sa­muel, [Page 219] had a louing husband, 1 Sam. 1. but a long time shee endured the reproch of barrennes, and her sorrow was thereby greatly encreased, and hir soule grie­ued.

But in the ende God respected hir, and made graunt to her petition, and gaue hir a sonne ac­cording to her earnest desire, and thereupon she brake foorth, and said that her hart reioiced, her horne was exalted, and her mouth enlarged.

The calling of the Gentils a most comforta­ble doctrine.This case was a priuate case, but the case and state of vs Gentils was a generall matter, and Iewry was sometime the fruitful mother, and as Anna, so were the Gentils the barren woman, and that without an husband, but at length Gen­tilisme now altered from Gentilisme, and asci­ted into fauour, and accepted of God through his grace, the Lord opening her womb, this barren woman hath beene a fruitfuller mother than shee that bare manie, in so much that sundry places e­uery waie most vnlikeliest for any fruite at all, much lesse for plenty in great aboundance, hath borne a greater haruest than groundes in sight more batsome, and of greatest likelihoode.

And here (dearlibeloued) let vs neuer forgette the daies of our calling, and the times of our hap­pines, and the infinite goodnes of our God, who hath passed from his olde owne people, and hath gone ouer many and mightier nations than the kingdomes of England, Scotland, Denmarcke, Sueueland and other like cold countries, & hath [Page 220] caused their corck to sinck, and our yron to swim, and hath powred his dew euen as well beside the fleese, as vpon the fat fell, and hath made our bit­ter waters as sweete as the sweetest, and hath ef­fected that the very barbarous outplaces of the woorld are become as fertill and as fruitfull for truth and godlines as many nations else far ri­cher and likelier in the eies of mā. And this is the cōmon ioy of the Gentils in general, but nothing special or proper to Rome and Italie. But doth not this general blessing proue a generality of multitudes, & do not multitudes proue a visibility & an ocular, & an ey demonstration of a Church? The motiues of multitudes and of the Churches visi­bility iointly handled with due aunswere to their chiefest cauils. Now for the nature of multitudes must be spokē, as likewise of the visibility of the Church, as be­ing a question winding in it selfe continually in the same debate. Euery church and congregation (for there is not an hears-bredth difference in the two words) whether it be made vp of the godly, or cōpacted of the malignant, it cōsisteth necessarily of a number, & euery number, though some nūber be a greater multitude than som, yet euery nūber is a multitude, so that without a multitude, no church, no congregation good or bad can possibly be. And therefore it is a forrest of folly when con­trouersie is of the church, to deuolue al to one sole man, holding in pretence but from Peter as from one man. Notwithstanding albeit a church is a multitude congregated, and so may be visible, yet simply a multitude being gathered in most visi­ble [Page 221] maner doth not euidently argue the goodnes of the multitude, or that it therefore is the visible Church of God. Mark.

The church of God is a chosen people called out of the world, called by God, constituted in the couenant, and professing the faith. These whether they be 1. Moe, 2. Or few, 3. Or of equal number, so they be a number, it skilleth not.

1 A little before the deluge and drowning of the old woorld there were moe had than good, for al flesh had corrupted his waies. Gen. 6.

2 But in the Arke after-ward there were more good than bad: only Cham was perfectlie naught, and in the rest, though a smal companie, consisted the Church of God.

3 Vnder the parable of the 10. virgins in the Gospell the number is euen, so many and so many, fiue wise, and fiue foolish virgins.

Wherefore either the plurality or paucity or parity of numbers, the morenes (as I may so speak) the fewnes, or the euennes in numbring is no true note, no sure argument, demaund, or mo­tiue, any way to weigh downe the matter. Nay rather if we shal goe to numbring the professors by tale, & not to pondring the truth of professions, we shal make a faire hand in Gods matters.

In the cause of married priests Soz. lib. 1. c. 23 Paphnutius being but one, was against a whole councel, and preuailed with them.

Against the heresie of Arianisme, while Libe­rius [Page 222] stood, he stoode in a manner alone, and he Theod. L. 2. c. 16 a­lone defended Athanasius, and where Constan­tius obiected to Liberius that he an od man, and only alone, the least part of the world [...] (as it were) vpon a singularity he by that meanes disturbed the quiet peace of the whole woorlde [...], Liberius answered him wel, and if he could haue kept himselfe answerable to his answere, it had beene better, but he answered wel, videlicet, [...]. that the woorde of faith was not of right to bee diminished or lesned in credite be­cause of his alonens in the cause. For (saith he) e­uen of old, there were but three alone, that with­stood the kings edict, meaning Nabuchodono­sors commaundement, which the three children would not yeelde vnto.

In which story, I plainly not the Vniuersalitie of error. Vide Pigg. Hier. lib. 1. cap. 6. vniuersa­lity of the error, without al controuersie al-most al the Bishops not only of the East, but also of the West whether by force or by fraud relented and consented thereunto, yea euen Liberius him­selfe; was brought to that bent as I haue shewed before. And I ask, first the faith was in Liberius alone, and when he yeelded, where and in whom was it then to see to? and now can you think that it is good going euer with the most? And that the most must needs be best? And that it cannot chuse but bee so, at the least vnder the newe testa­ment?

You see it far otherwise in this very ensample [Page 223] The Pope refu­seth the motiue of multitudes. & that Liberius for answere to Constantius mo­tiue of multitudes replieth that his lonenesse marred not the cause, & for comfort thereof he re­specteth the story of old of the three children who were left alone, not denying, but comparing time with time said that if it might be with the church nowe, as it hath beene with her of oulde time, [...].

But you call vs to our text: the barren wo­man hath mo childrē than she that bare many. This text toucheth: doth it not? If she haue mo than many, belike, she hath very many.

Compare the number of beleeuers that were in Iewry, and the numbers in Christendome, and questionles the calling of the Gentils surpasseth innumerably. Yet this maketh nothing for sette numbers in a visible forme here in this, or that place euer.

The greater part is not nece­sarily the better for goodnes is not made of quantities.And compare the whole world and the church together, and as the Church is better than the world, so worldly men are mo than are not onely the true members, but then the externe profes­sion of christian faith. Shal I argu thus? These are many, and beeing many, make a visible coun­tenance, ergo they are therefore the hest, and best to bee trusted? No. But rather of the twaine the maior part, ergo many times and most likely they are the worse part.

The Church of Christ is a little flock, a flocke and therefore many, but a litle flock, and therfore [Page 224] a small many, and smally respected, and though many are called vnto, yet fewe are chosen, and the Church is a chosen company effectuallie called, and euen the outward calling and profes­sion is not imbraced of the more part. For the way is narrow, and fewe take this way, but the broade way is trodden of euery foote, and it is a beaten path, and soone discerned and seene of all, and followed of most.

See (saith the Apostle)1 Cor. 1.26. consider your [...]. calling, not many wise, not many mighty, not many wel­thy. If not many of these, ergo surely not many at al. For the wise, the mighty, the noble, and the wealthy cary long traines after them.

And as it fared thus in the first entraunce of Christianity, and for sometime after, yet it was somewhat better in processe, and yet returning againe to the condition of the first beginning, the wayning will bee like the wexing, and when the sonne of man shal come, shal he find faith, but euen scant and scant, as it were an Oliue or two in the outmost bowes after the gathering, or as a grape here and there after vintage, or as a slender glea­ning after haruest?

True. But there are similitudes and para­bles much sounding to the contrary, as that the Church should bee woonderfully populous, and that not only in comparison to the Iewish estate, but in it selfe it should be as 1 1. A Tabernacle in the sun. 2 2. As the city on the high hill, & 3 3. As the [Page 225] candle on the table al in sight, and 4 4. If any man would seeke the Church in the wildernes out of sight, nolite exire, it were sinne to go after him.

Sirs, so you say, and huddle vppe places togi­ther at your pleasures, but with litle truth, and euer to least purpose in special for your Romane mart, and visible monopoly, whither you inuite al the merchants of the world to come and buy of you.

Whether the Church be a ta­bernacle in the sunne, and how.1 In order to answere these your fairest ob­iections: you say god placed his tabernacle in the sunne. His tabernacle is the Church, the sun doth signifie a visible clearnes, and therefore euer you require a clear aspect for the Church. And that it may not he said, that you suckt all this out of your owne fingers ends, or as it was said of him: Solus enim hoc Ithacus nullo sub teste canebat, you alleage Augustine, and that not in one place alone, but in s [...]ry, as in Psal. 18. & Epist. 166. & contra li­ter [...]. Petill. Lib. 2. Cap. 32.

We haue heard you oppose, will you heare vs answere? 1. First, a false translation may corrupt a text, and doth not make a text to fit a purpose in commenting without a ground. Vndeniably the Psalm treateth of the wonderous works of god, and namely that God made a tabernacle for the Sunne in the heauens, and not that he put his tabernacle in the Sun. 2. Secondly Austens so vsing that translation which hee had doth but al­legorize. And allegories without other euidences [Page 226] are but conuenient allusions, and no probatiue allegations, & that by Austines owne iudgement, Epistola 48.3. 3 Thirdly Austen disputing a­gainst the Donatists, argueth a visibility when it was, and which might be, against the Donatists, who necessarily woulde driue the Church to cor­ners, and hide her vnder a cloke, and bury her in one hole of the worlde. 4 4. Fourthly, I might obserue that which Austen himselfe obserueth, that at the most, the Church is called but a taber­nacle, a moueable tent, & no fixt permanent house, but a tent, a tabernacle, now placed in Silo, as it were in the Sunne, and sometimes in Mispa an obseurer place: which thing Austen himselfe ob­serued, and knew wel-enough.August in Psal. 10. 5 5. Fiftly, me­taphors & borrowed speeches, such as these are, when the Church is likened to the Sunne, to the City on the hill &c. They are true according to the distinction of some happy times, and not at all times alike, come what come shall, for an euerla­sting continuance. Yea occasions may happen, when the Sunne may change into darckenesse, & the Moone into blood, the one may blush, and the other be ashamed.

In the Canticles Cant. 6.6. the Church is compared to the Sunne, to the Moone, and to the Starres, but saith Austen, when the Sunne shal be darckened, and the Moon shal not giue hir light, & the Stars shal fal from Heauen, Ecclesia non apparebit impijs persecutoribus vltra modum saeuientibus, the church [Page 227] shall NOT Aug. Epist. 80 APPEARE by reason of the excee­ding cruelty of her persecutors. And then accor­ding to Austens iudgement, where wilbe that vi­sibility of a Tabernacle in the Sunne, when the very Sun in his tabernacle shal be darckened?

2 The The Church a city vpon a hill. second obiection of the Citty vpon the Hill, that cannot be hidden. Can-not, in what sense. CAN-NOT is here taken for Cannot in dewty (Id possumus quod Iure possumus) not for an absolute impossibilitie. For the highest hils may bee sometimes hid with mistes. And our Sauiour spake those wordes to his Apostles, whom they most concerned, and they proue a proportionable duty in others, but not a very performance of such duties, when they who should dwell in the hils, either come down & build in the valleys, or els are driuen from the hils, and cōstrained to fly into vauts & dens & secret places. Our sauior that said they were the city on the hil, said also they were the salt of the earth, but he putteth the case, that if the salt lost his saltnesse, then wherefore is it good? So if things alter, & keepe not their course, their duety is shewed by these termes, and not their doings. If Libanus turne into Carmel, or Carmel into Libanus, they have altered their first nature. For Libanus was a wood, and Carmel a fertill pasture. But in pro­cesse of time, woods become pastures, and by the iust iudgement of God, the best pastures are tur­ned into barren heathes. So hils are made val­lyes, and vallyes may bee exalted, and the verie [Page 228] house of God bu: It on mounr Sion, may bee and was made a den of theeues.

The Church a candle on the table.3 The third obiection of the candell in the candle-sticke set on the table, suffereth the like answere. For if the clear burning candle become a snuf, as if the white Nazareth should become a black Aethiop, the case is the same, that was of the high City, that had cast hirselfe beadlong from the mountaine.

And againe, it is to bee remembred, that the candle and light of the truth, and true Church is not alike lightsome to cuery ey, and no man see­eth the light of the house, but hee that is in the house. Solem non nisi sanus videt. Augustine in Psal. 47. The bleare ey cannot abyde the light, the blind seeth not, no not in the sun.

Againe the Apostles were as this candle thus placed, therefore are they also who are nothing a­postolick, are they the light of the woorld, the can­dle on the table? I deny it.

If bees become drones, because they were bees, shal they brag of their first being? And very waspes make combs as wel as bees, but waspes make no hūny, & therfore there is no sweetnes, no sauor, no tast in this bragging & shew of auncient progenitors and titles without answerable due­ties, and goodnes according.

Go not out into the wil­dernes. spoken in what mea­ning.4 The fourth cauil is, that there is no going out into the wildernes to enquire for the church. In the 17. of Luke our Sauior being demanded [Page 229] concerning his kingdome which is his church, he answereth first generally that it cōmeth not with obseruation, which may bee explicated not to be with sumptuous preparation, and costly manner after the vsage of earthly princes. Al which strōg­ly reprooueth the pompe and starely brauery of Rome. Then meu shal not say of a certainty and of alocal necessity, Lo here, or lo there, as if gods Church were necessarily either in the wildernes or any where esse. For the kingdome is not hung as a painting vnpon walles, or builte vppon the sand of multitudes, or else conueied into the wil­dernes whence it cannot com? fuorth when God would, no we neuer said that Elias was alwaies so in his caue, and could not come foorth, Nay the kingdome of God then when our Sauiour aun­swered, was offered them, and was amongest them, and should haue beene inwardely receaued of them. For the throne of Dauid belonging spi­ritually to our Sauiour, was no earthly conceat, no local matter, no corporall respect with a neces­sary respect, heere or there, either in the desert, or in any place els, but may bee here, and maie bee there, but neither heere or there of pure neces­site. but as God will without obseruation of cir­tumstances, and therefore without a pluralitie of numbers, or localities of places, or visibilities of set persons. The kingdome of God commeth now with obseruation.

And farther, as it came not so, when it first [Page 230] came, Shal Rebecca ride, and Isaack go a foote? Gen. 24.64. so shall it not ende in such beuty as popery requireth, and why should it? The spouse is not better than the brideman, the members than the head.

When the child went into Aegypt, Mary and Ioseph went with it. And the woman in the Re­uelation which is the Church (whereof there is a plaine prophesie) shee was driuen by name into the wildernes, and we ought as occasions shal be offered by the prouidence of the Almighty with patience to suffer our selues to be framed confor­mable to our Sauiour in the daies of his fleshe. Who beeing looked on with a fleshly eye seemed contemptible, and to be depised, verily without Esai. 53.3. forme or beutie to see to: that is, without al vist­ble estimation.

And as for our selues in the last times, we are plainly foretold that there shal bee a defection, and that religion shall bee mystically defaced vn­der faire pretences, and that when Christ shall come, he shall scant finde faith on the face of the earth, and what careth hee for a painted visibility of faithlesse hypocrites?

God might vse the papacy to the benefit of his Church, though the papacy be not the Church. Where not with standing euen in the mids of such, God may haue and hath had, and hath no doubt many secret ones, yea God can vse such hy­pocrites to the benefite of his Church, as a man may vse a bussard to hatch him haukes, though when the hawkes bee hatcht, the bussard mislike and beate them most, that are best of wing, and [Page 231] soare highest both for integrity of life, and sound­nes of doctrine, but the very hawk in experience tan tell in time that the bussard as their naturall dame neuer laid the egs from whence they cante. So in popery albeit wee and others some-when externally receaue the sacrament of baptisine a­mongest them, or ought that good is else; yet in­wardly beeing regenerated by the spirite in the blood of Christ through the mercy of the Father, and comming to riper yeares by true knowledge out of his holy word, we know, that we were bap­tized though ministerially by them, yet by the pro­uidence of God, not into the partiality of the Ro­mish faction, but into the communion of the vns­uersal church, & so made, no members of Rome, but of Christes body, to serue him, not in a serui­lity of Ie wish or apish rites, or in the visibility of a Church pompt, or in the particularity of my place, but in the true liberty of a fre people, and it the generall lap of his chosen, which in this world is hated and spited most, euen of them that much pretend to loue her most. But this loue is periert hatred. And this hate passeth al hate that is begun in hypocrisie, and continued in the greatest vil­lame that euer was hearde of since the begin­ning.

In cōsideration whereof, tuen as Naomi in the booke of Ruth, Ruth. 1.19. when it was bruted that shee was returned out of Moab, the citizens of Bethleem said, is not this Naomi? Who answered: tall me [Page 232] not Naomi, which by interpretation is beuty, but cal me mara, which is bitternes, cal me bitternes, cal me not beuty.

When she went into Moab constrained by the famine in Canaan, shee went out ful, with conue­nient wealth, but in her exile, her substance was spent, hit husband deseased, her two sonnes died, and shee was left a poore widdowe, rather Mara, than Naomi.

Semblably while the church, or rather a part of the catholick church is in the peregrination of this miserable world, as Naomi in Moab, what wroonges are sustained on euery side? And some­times those that should play the husbandes part, deale woorse with hir, than ethers who yet deale not wel.

She bringeth forth, as it is figured in the Reuel. 12. Re­uelation, with paine, and the fruite of her womb, yea the most part of her children become an vn­comfortable generation. Scant Ruth, euen a few & those many times most vnlikely, as the daugh­ter in Law, followeth & accompanieth Naomi to the euerlasting home and heauenly Canaan.

Doth not this story suffer this application, and may not the Church, euen in places claiming by the name of the Church, the Church, cry foorth and say, ô cal me not Naomi, but cal mec Mara: cal me not beutie, but cal me bitter: call mee not a visible Monarchie, a glorious multitude, a beutiful hierarchie, a braue prelacie, and a Ro­mane [Page 233] papacie, a galant tabernacle placed in the clearest Sun, The true beuty of the Church what. no cal me as the tents of Cedar fair indeed within by spiritual comforts and gra­ces of the holy Ghost, accompanied and made vn of the soules of the iust and righteous men, euen of the sonnes of Sara, and the children of Ierusa­lem which is from aboue, but this beuty is alto­gether inwarde, but outwardly these tentes are black, both which the imperfection of humane frailnes, and most by the blacke reportes, and bad dealings we are daylie defaced with in the world, and in opinion defamed. O call not this condition generally Naomi, specially to the outward view, but cal it bitrernes, for it is bitter in deed, if there were not, as it were, some Elizeus meale to swee­ten the pot withall. But hereof as occasion shall serue, euen as by occasion of the two mothers, thus much hath been spoken. Now look we vpon their children.

[Page 234] The comparison betwixt Ismael and Isaack di­stinctlie consi­dered.The Church as it is likened by the Apostle to Abrahams wiues, so also is it to Abrahams chil­dren, and so in Gods Church appeareth also as plain a difference as before viz. 1. In their birth. 2. In their affections. 3. In the right of their in­heritance.

1 Albeit Ismael, and Isaak both came from the loines of Abraham, yet as out of one seede, the solid corn and stender chaffe arise, so was in them two great oddes, much according to the ground wherein the seede was sowen, according to the di­uersities of the wombs, & according to the tepera­ture of the regiō, indeed, according to the blessing of God, and the grace of his promise. A dry slip to take roote, a deade wombe to conceaue was more than strange, and the only work of the almightie. Whereof before.

2 Their contrary affection, is descried by the open persecution not obscurely offered. And as it was in the letter of the story so once, so is it stil. For this enmity was not ended in their per­sons, neither was this a priuate case, but a type of a farther matter. And in them was represen­ted, in the one the malignant Church, and in the other the Church of God.

Whether Isma­els mocking may be properly ter­med perse­cution.Here it may bee questioned whether Ismael in­deed did persecute Isaake or no. In the booke of Genesis God visited Sara, as you haue hard. Sara in her, and hir husbands old age conceaueth and beareth a sonne. When the child was borne, he is [Page 235] in conuenient time circumcised, named and wea­ned, and the father maketh a great feast, which when Ismael saw, hee much scorneth at his bro­ther Isaak.

But was this such a matter? Or doth euerie frump come within the compasse and nature of persecution? In cases, the virulency of an adders congue, the poyson of lips, and the contradiction of railers, and table-talkers, and bitter speakers greeueth more than the wounds of a sword. But yet there was more in this story than so.

He seeth his father liberal, the mother ioyfull, the childe made of, and the promise perfourmed, and yet he imagineth hee can defeat al: and there­fore hee scorneth, & setteth the promise at naught, and maketh a May-game of the Lords purpose: and this being rightly considered, and laid to hart there can be no greater persecution whatsoeuer. This cutteth deepe, and poisoneth as it cutteth. A man were better be flead with Bartlemew, or sawed asunder as Isay, or broyled on a gridiarn as Lawrence, than tolerate the reproches of im­piety. Pharoes bricke, or Phalaris bul, that is, the extremest persecution, is nothing compara­ble.

In the booke of Iudges Iudg. 16.23. Sampson suffered the entisementes of Dalila euen to the boring out of his owne eies, but when the Philistines were not content therewith, but would needes send for Sampson to make them merry, and in him spor­tingly [Page 236] to scorne the Lordes strength, you knowe what followed.

In the 2 of Kinges 2 King. 2. it may seeme at first sight, but an vnmannerly prancke of young vntaught thinges, to vpbraide the Prophet: Goe vp thou bald bate, goe vp thou balde bate: but the gree­uousnes of their punishment may easily enforme vs of the waight of that transgression.

Wherefore the mocking of a Prophet, the il­luding the promise, the vpbraiding of the strength of the Lord, the scorneful out-brauing the saintes of God, as when they say, Come sing vs one of your Sion songs, or, There is no helpe for Dauid in Dauids God, or as to our sauiour, If God wil saue him, or, let himselfe come downe from the crosse & saue himself. These are the sorest perse­cutions, and the most insufferable sufferings that can bee suffered. Wherefore Ismaels open throte and vnsauery breath, his scorning head, and scof­fing spirite was a very persecution, there is no question therein.

The motiue of Succession.Now for the extent of persecution, did it liue & die in their persons? Our aduersaries would fain holde and maintaine by succession the goodnes of their relligion. I knowe they knowe, that they cannot shew neither orderly beginning, nor vn­broken continuance for the matters we charge them with. But coulde they prooue a prolonged race, what then? Hard. detect. Pag. 217. a. Must we then seeke our faith in the Romish comperts?

[Page 237] A scrole of names is a sory proofe to proue a truth in do­ctrine. Cain killed Abell: so did hee; so doth he still. Ismael mocked Isaack: so doth he euer since till this day. Persecutors draw after them a long taile, and descent of a continued line in euill. Wherefore succession is no firme argument to inferre their errors, or to infirme our truth. The wicked haue it most, the good may misse it manie times. What did it profit Cham that he was the sonne of Noe, or Absolon that holy Dauid was his father? Learning, Wit, Eloquence, muchlesse godlinesse, goe not by descent in a right line.

Aristippus was a fine cunning Courting Phi­losopher, which may better beseeme Philosophy, than Diuinity, but his sonne was a very loute. Demosthenes was most eloquent in the grauest kinde, but his Sonne was too too rude. Cicero was both wise and eloquent, and yet his son was a very sot. Ely of himselfe, except in cockering vp of his children, was no euill man, but his Sonnes degenerated, and were as the Sonnes of Belial.

Naturally man is naught, and therefore a na­tural succession in persons cannot be good by na­ture: and which is to be noted, succession in the place, and in the room of predecessors addeth no sanctity and holines. Numb. 32. Numb. 32. Behold you are risen vp an increase of sinnefull men insteede of your Fathers. Behold likewise the pleasant val­ley of Sodome was changed into Surphur, Salt, Pits of Brimstone, and the like stincking matter. Oye generation of vipers, saith our Sauiour [Page 238] to the Pharisies who sate in the place which God had chosē, reprouing them both because they were vipers, and because they were a generation, euen SVCCESSIVELY a venemous race.

The motiue of Antiquity. Pa. Supra. 42.Againe our Aduersaries claime by antiquitie, but doe you not see the elder brother persecuting the younger, the elder brother killing Abel, the elder brother selling young Ioseph into the hands of strangers? And euen so is it nowe, as it was of old. But of this Motiue more before.

And note also, that it is the lot of the best, both to bee interrupted 1. in their continuance, while the badde produce out whole generations, and then 2. to be the yongest in their beginnings, and lastly 3. to be euil intreated euen of their brethren.

3 The thirde difference betwixt the children, which I obserued, was the right & the obtaining of their inheritance: wherein is set forth, that the bond woman by name with her brat for their into­lerable brables at the fast were shut out of dores, and cast, as it were, out of the the Arke of Abra­hams family.

Cain complaineth & findeth fault that he was as a rough stone cast out of the hande of God to bee a vagabond vpon the face of the earth.

Agar also and Ismael (of whom we speake) be­toke them to their portions, but such portions are Gen. 21. soone spent, and in the anguish of soule they were a cōfortlesse couple, and cried out for want, which was a pattern of farder distres. For though [Page 239] the chaffe for a time growe in the field, and rest in the mow, and lie in the flower in greater quantity than the good graine; yet after fanning time the chaffe shalbe cast out into the fire, and the corne shalbe receaued into the Lordes euerlasting gar­ners.

While they were in prosperity, who but Agar against Sara, Ismael against his brother, the Iews against the Gentils? The chaffe exceedeth the corne, and the corne seemeth to be but chaffe. But that day is neuer intirely faire that endeth in a wette raine. Ismaels scoffing iollity commeth to nothing. Isaac obtaineth the promise, and tarieth with his father, and inioyeth the inheritance, and Ismaels pleasureable waters of many frumpes, and sundry delights runne all into the salt Sea & receiue a bitter end, and onely Isaac inioyeth that inheritance.

Now looke ye to it (saith the Apostles exhorta­tion) of whether Testament, of whether Hierusa­lem, of whether Mother, of whether Mountain, of Agar or Sara, of Sinay or Sion, will ye be? Will yee bee Ismaelites, or Isaackes? With Moses or Christ alone will you Christians hold? Will you tarry in the house, and inioy the inheritance, or be cast out of doores?

CHAP. V.

The happy con­dicion of a true Christian. THE case of a chri­stian man stādeth thus: The horror of death, the terror of hel, the suttlety of sinne, the frailty of the fleshe, the might of the world, the power of Sa­than haue naught to doe with him. For why? the fauor of God, the comfort of the spirit, the merit of the son, the force of faith, the nature of hope doe swallowe vp all those for­mer [Page 241] enimies, and terrible inuasions.

For are we not a royal race, children of choice, sons of the promise, wheritours w^t Isaack, a freed and a free people, manumitted from the Law, and set at liberty by Christ? Iohn. 8.36. Whom the sonne freed, they are free without question.

The apostle hath inculcated this heauenly doc­trine both in plain words often, & likewise by sun­dry parables, as also by certain special euentes in the family of Abraham, and thereupon he willeth the Galathians to bee wise and couragious to mainteine their liberty, to stand to it, yea to die in the quarell. A million of liues were well lost in such a cause, and yet not lost, but well and wisely laide forth.

This liberty is no humane freedome, as from the Turkes Gallies, or Spaniards Mines, or such like Aegyptian Slauery, but a liberty of consci­ence from a spiritual thrall and euerlasting dam­nation.

Christianitie is not made as Lincy-Wolsey, of diuerse matters.The purchase of this liberty, as wee say, cost whot water: nay, my brethren, it cost the shedding of the precious bloode of the sonne of God, and of the Lord of glory, and therefore stand to it (saith Paul) quit your selues like men, loose not this li­berty, entangle not your selues with the yoke of bondage. There is little reckoning made of me. But say that I Paul tolde you, that, if you bee cir­cumcised since the date of that ceremony is expi­ted, and with the entent to ioyne the Lawe with [Page 242] christ, which your false teachers bear you in hand you ought to doe, say that I said it, and you shall find it so, that Christ cannot profitte you, and that thereby you are euen abolished from Christ, and fallen from Grace. For as the Oke and the Oliue will not growe in one hole, so hee that leaneth (as Iohn did) vnto Christ, must rencunce Moyses Lawe, and onely cleaue to Christ, and to his grace alone: For as Sara and Agar cannot dwell in one house, so the liberty of christ, and the serui­lity of Moses cannot rest in one hart.

1 Sam. 5.The Philistines by force may bring the arke of God into the Temple of their god, but the arke and Dagon wil neuer agree, and our patches and out-worne ragges are not sutable to his scarlet weed. His new wine will haue newe bottles, and his wine wil not be mixed, and as his sacred Ioh. 19.41. bo­dy was laide in a monument, where neuer man was laide, so his person is there receaued, where nothing is receaued but his person, and he that is a Christian is nothing but a Christian: hee is a not Iewe and a Christian, but hee is a Chri­stian.

Agrippa in the Actes Act. 26.29. was induced to become almost a Christian, but (almost) contented not Paul, and Paul wished, that all men were christi­ans, not almost, but altogether so. For he that is not altogether so, is in no part so. There is no 1 Cor. 1.13. diuiding with Christ, neither yet of the Lawe. For the Law requireth all or none.

[Page 243] Because Paul would not ouerbear them with his owne name and authority, he sheweth withall aboundantly that the natures of the Gospell are contrary & cannot agree. And that the rite of cir­cumcision vnder the law, requireth the obseruati­on of the whole law, & so the false Apostels taught them but the obseruation of the whole Law was impossible, yet vpon a supposal. If it could bee obserued, then fare-well Christ, and fare-well Grace.

But vers. 5. The spirit enstructeth our hope not to trust in our selues, but teacheth vs to ex­pect a righteousnesse thorough faieth in Christ. Which faith verse 6. knoweth no difference be­tween circumcision and vncircumcision, for christ is the sauiour of al that beleeue in him thorough faith. And because there were euen then at that time false motiues concerning names of thinges aequiuocè and doubtfully termed, which indeede were not answerable to their appellations, Paul describeth for our better vnderstanding, how we shall knowe a true faith, to wit, by the operation thereof by loue. Faith is a faith which woorketh by charity.

De vniuers Iustificati. doct. lib. 8. cap. 29.This Paraphrase is plaine and sensible, and might suffice, but that Master Stapleton and pa­pists wil not suffer the plainest scriptures to passe without their obscure glozing and endlesse cor­ruptions. Insteed of [which worketh] he saith which is wrought by charity. For he telleth vs vppon [Page 244] his knowledge in the greeke, that the verbe (ope­ratur) in graeco habet sensum passiuum, non actiuum, hath a passiue sense in greeke, and not an actiue. This passeth. And not an actiue?

Henry Steeuen incomparably better skilled in the tongue than master Stapleton, in his greek Tom. 1. con. 12.31. Lexicon saith that in the new test [...]ment, [...] is found also in the actiue signification, and in the Epistle of Saint Iames Iam. 5.16. [...] is an effectual operatiue and actiue praying: is it not? And your Latine translation is [operatur] which is actiuely taken we gesse. And date you presume to for go the same, directly against your own trent decree, in that respect? But you may doe what you list, to mainteine your fancies.

But let vs fellowe you, and see what reason may lead you to think that Paul should require a faith wrought by charitie. And by the way bee it remembred that your selues date not so translate it. For though your Rhemish men in their notes iumble about that your meaning, yet their note is beside the text, and they translate it, as wee doe, viz. That it is [faith which worketh by charitie] and not, which is wrought by charitie.

But now consider if Paul would haue charity work vp faith, and faith to be wrought vp, and to be perfected by loue, to what purpose were that speech but to ouerthrowe the whole tenour of his former endeuour? For hee sheweth that wee are not iustified by the Lawe, and namely therefore [Page 245] not by circumcision, least by the admission of cir­cumcisiō, we should become debters of the whole Lawe, both morall and ceremoniall. And if you marke, loue and charity by reason of the large ex­tent thereof reaching euen to both the tables, is called the perfection of the Law: so that in requi­ring Loue, he should also exact the whole Lawe, which hee purposely laboureth to exclude in the case and action of iustifiyng, and therefore veryly Loue is not the worker, or former of faith, but faith alone iustifieth, and this iustifieng faith actiuely woorketh through loue, stil I say, not in the act of iustifieng before God, but in the ac­tions of good liuing in the world. But thus Mai­ster Stapleton you can set men a woorke to con­fute these childish babies of fro-warde wrang­lers.

In Leuiticus Leuit. 10.9. Aaron abstained from wine for the time hee sacrificed, whereby was insinuated the great sobriety, and marueilous discretion is required in them who are to deale in Gods af­faires. And as discretion is requisite, so is dili­gence necessary, and courage needeful. Al these vertues were in Paul in the highest degree. Wee haue found it so, and so haue obserued them not once, nor twise, but sundry times as we haue gon along.

The Galathians ranne wel, Paul cheerefullie encouraged them in that race. There are stumb­ling blocks of offence laid in their way. Paul see­keth to roule them aside, or else helpeth them to o­uer-stride them. And to that end he reacheth them his hand, nay his hope and hands (no doubt) helde vp to the Lord most earnestly in their behalfe.

Iacob neuer tooke the toile to obtaine to wife either of Labans daughters, that Paul taketh to wedde & marry the Galathians firmely to Christ, to whome they were espoused.

But there was, 1. some secret leauen to season them in a contrary doctrine, 2. & likely there was one a more notable troubler of them, than the rest, though they were 3. many, who much disquieted these Churches.

The least part of the leauen of quarrelers is ouer dangero [...].1 Of the leauen Paul willeth to beware, euen of the least part thereof. Men make smal rec­koning [Page 247] of smal sinnes, yet the least forfite, forfiteth the whole lease. The litle leaking may drown the ship: one litle pinte of vineger marreth a pipe of wine: a litle leauen sowreth the whole lumpe, and causeth it to swell, and neuer leaueth till it haue brought the whole lumpe to be of his own nature, viz. to be of a soure, poutting, and proud condi­tion.

2 An example hereof may be euen hee whom Paul scriketh at, he who perswaded them contra­ry to their callings, who was that notable tur­moiler of them. Of whom Paul saith, who euer he be, there is a higher than he, there is a iudgement seate hee cannot decline, but shall and must abide the verdict that God will giue vpon all such.

3 Of this man & generally of the rest which purposely made a concision, and a rent in the Church of God, like vnruly fish breaking the net. and disordering all, Paul wisheth in respect of gods glory, & the Churches commodity, that they were euen cut off. A heauy wish. But a necessary, when priuy lurckers, and whispering corrupters are otherwise like to contaminate all.

Wo to them by whom offences come. And yet there must come offences, there must be heresies, and there shalbe enimies: heresies to try our faith, and enimies to proue our patience.

Inwarde conten­tion worse than outward per­secution.And while the wind bloeth but into the house, there may be meanes to keepe it forth: but when it is bred in the house, and while the contention is [Page 248] within the womb of Rebecca, the contention and strugling is felt with a most sorrowfull feeling, & who can abide it?

And yet lo, herein is patience, and herein is great wisedome, patience in praying to God, and wishing of him that he would take his own cause into his own hand; wisedome in prouiding reme­dies conuenient, according to our callings.

If any man be giuen to contend, wee haue no such custome in the Church of God: if any man be like the Salamander that liketh and liueth best in the fire, I say in the fire of vnnecessary strife, which is not, certainly, which is not taken from the Lords Altar, truely for mine own part I can­not but say, and pray, ô my soul enter not into such Councels.

Elias seruant sawe a litle clowd,1 King. 18.44. as it were a mans hand at first, and afterwards the heauens waxt thicke and blacke and clowdy, and a great storme ensued. I can not prognosticate what stormes may come (God be thanked euer who hath graunted so long a calme) but if they must needs come, and cannot be diuerted, which I most wish, then I pray God they fal vpon that sea, and vppon those troublesome waters, from whence they rise.

Browne the schismatique.I wil not so speake in clouds, but that you may know whom I meane directly: In deed I meane the man whose opprobrious pamphlets, I take, some of you haue, or haue seene: I meane Brown, [Page 249] that shameles reuiler of our Sacraments, a rai­ler at our ministerie, that saucy reprocher of the state and Parlament by name, and the very diui­der, as much as in him lieth, of the body of Christ, which is his Church.

The nature of schisme where it entereth, and what means it vseth.Marke what I tel you: the nature of schisme is euer to hunt after, and to enter the places where religion is most planted: and because the affecti­ons of weomen are great where they take, the old Pharisie, the cunning Iesuit, the peeuish Schis­matique alwaies inuade widowes housen, and young wiues companies, specially of the richer sort: and when deuotion hath fore-possessed their minds, either the one way or the other, then come they with their intemperate heate, inflaming the aire prepared alreaby so, that it may be incen­sed.

Gaine by schisms.And as these men feed these weomens humors, so these weomen fill these mens purses, and they gaine more by schisme, than they coulde by vni­ty, and to that ende in steede of true preaching, of sound doctrine, onely certaine debates impetri­nent, are handled among a sort of the infirmer sex, and the regiment and ordering of euery thing are demurred and decided priuatly in places, where some one woman or other can finde the husband inclineable, or else where the woman is venterous & wil and doth giue, giue (for they cal it giuing) largely to heare of these matters, & of these only. And within a while the open Church is refused, & [Page 250] secret conuenticles taken vp, charity is brokē, & al is turned to an eger sharpnes of speech sometimes against preaching at Pauls, Reading in towns, or studieng in Vniuersities, & generally against the whole order of this Realme. This is a secret souring Leauen, this is not as Elizeus meale to sweeten the bitter, but as gal added to the sweete, to make it most bitter, and like a rosted Onnion cut and laid open, ready to take euery euil sent in the house, where it can finde the least suspicion thereof.

If there be any imperfection amongst vs, as I am sure there is none vrged as an additament to Christ, and the Articles agree­ed vpon &c. anno 1562. Artic. 20. Scriptures which were a case to by in: but if there be any in other matters, shal the corne say, I will not grow but in the fielde where no weedes growe? I will not heare them, which teach well, and which teach all the trueth in faith, but not al the truth which I coūt truthes in other respects? And therefore brag and vaunt, I had ra­ther defie al and liue alone.

In the body there are wertes and deformities of diuers sorts, some may bee cut off with ease, or with no great paine: othersome seeme to bee de­formities and be not, but in the eies of some, and yee if they were, I say not, better a mischiefe than an inconuenience, but better an inconuenience, than an intolerable mischiefe. And these schismes, these angry biles, these insufferable plagues will grow to an intolerable mischiefe, if they be not cut [Page 251] off (as Paul wisheth) or some other way qualified and asswaged. But this much by the way and vp­on iust occasion.

The Galathians as they were to recognize the state wherein they were placed, and the condi­tion whereunto they were called, and therein to liue & die, & to stand to that: so yet because licenti­ous men may soon abuse the liberty of the gospel, Paul deliuereth foorth a caueat, and maketh as it were a circle, least men take an exorbitant, and a wandering course in the waies of their saluation.

Grace hath superabounded, but sinne may not therefore abound. Abraham and Abrahams race [Page 252] is iustified and sette at liberty by faith, by the pro­mise in the seede through fauour and grace from our sinnes, as likewise also from the olde ceremo­nies, shall wee therefore ad sinne to sinne, and liue as we list, and lust after the flesh, and offend euery weake one, being called to lead a life after the spi­rit, and that in perfect loue and brotherly charity? Phy for shame.

The nature of man is prone to superstition, and bent to ceremonies, and ready to take any o­ther way to Heauen than God himselfe prescri­beth.

Of old, Spiridion bishop of Cypris, Sozo. lib. 1. c. 11. a man most renouned & known by fame, whē in a fasting time a stranger came to him cōsidering circumstances; he willed his daughter (for he was maried) to dres such prouision as he had, to wit a peece of bacon: & when it was ready, himselfe did eate and bad his ghest doe the like and take part: the straunger re­fused so to do, because he was a Christian, nay sai­eth Spiridion, [...], by so much the rather thou shouldest not refuse. All things are cleane to the cleane.

The Scriptures are plaine. And I ad, God is not the god of meats, he careth not for fishers more than for butchers, for salt fish more than for pow­dred beefe, for meates too or fro. Touch not, tast not, were Iewish seruices, wee are free as Spiri­dion said, euen because we are Christians, and so are wee free from the fleshely grosser yoke of the [Page 253] whole Law, euen because we are Christians, but yet not to liue after the flesh without the rules of the Law, and beside the orders of charitable and duetiful consideration.

A Christian is most free, and most bound.In two woordes (I may seeme to speake con­traries, but mark what I say) yea, 1. A Christian is the only freeman. 2. Againe a Christian is as much bound, though not seruilely bound, as anie man els.

1 Concerning the curse of the Lawe, the de­grees and wilfulnes of sinning, the slauery of sa­than, the feare of death, the thrall of ceremonies, old or new, and the bond of damnation, a christian man is a free-man.

2 On the otherside, not onely to serue God, whose seruice is perfect freedome, but also to serue one another, a Christian is most bound of al men. Which kind of seruice is no slauery, but a willing seruice and dewty, and not a compelled doing and seruitude, because al is and should bee in a louely performance labored and contended vnto.

To induce men hereunto, the reasons are ve­ry forcible. 1. The commaundement to loue. 2. The excellency of loue. 3. The inconuenience in not louing.

1 If God command, what seeke we farder? Ego, Dominus, I am the Lorde, is the conclusion which God euer maketh either in his prohibiti­ons or precents: and Hely taught Samuel to say, [Page 254] that which we al must say, Speake on Lord, thy seruant heareth, and by hearing is meant obe­dience in hearing.

Loue and Charitie.2 The excellency of loue appeareth herein: that loue God, and loue man also, loue God and man, and the perfection of the Law could require no more. Of so large a compasse is loue, and of so excellent a quality.

But yet the Apostle doth not dispute nowe whether a man can loue in the highest degree, but what hee must endeuour to doe being freed from his imperfection, and wanting the perfectnesse, which is required.

If we could loue in that measure we ought, in that sort we should, and in what manner the Law commandeth, then might we fulfill the Lawe no doubt. But we haue a discharge from that per­fection, for we are not vnder the Law, but yet not without release from contending to perfection, for thereunto the spirit leadeth, and louingly con­duct [...]h vs al along.

By the spirite is meant the first fruites of the holy Ghost, the effects of grace, and power of christ working in christians: which because some relickes of the old man remaine in vs, which the Apostle calleth the fleshe, alas this flesh lusteth a­gainst the spirit, so that we cannot doe what wee would, and therefore not what we should. For many times we wish to doe lesse than we ought, and yet let vs euer endeuour to doe the most. [Page 255] Herein the onely way is to go the wayes of loue, and charity. For loue thinketh nothing harde, though it be neuer so hard.

In louing, as the heauens are placed aboue the earth, so the God of heauen is to be beloued aboue al his creatures. And yet loke what loue we duly and orderly shew to our neighbour, hee accepteth as doone to himselfe, so that in him and for his sake, wee performe it throughly, as vsually wee would to our own selues.

Man hath a natural Selfe-Loue forbidden. philauty and selfe-loue, but God requireth not the euil kinde of loue, whereby alwaies and especially in the last daies men shalbe louers of themselues, but the high degree of hartines in louing others, euen as our selues, the Law would haue.

Eate not thy bread alone by thy selfe, breake it to the poore. Break it with discretion, but breake it. Iudas the traitors voice was, what will yee giue me? Cain asked, am I the keeper of my bro­ther? And why not the keeper? But God saue eue­ry innocent Abel from such keepers.

Yet indeede no man hath greater charity than to giue his life for his brethren. I deny not the greatnes, Magis aut minus non variant speciem, greatnes or litlenes doth not alter the question, it is charity to loue, and it is the nature of true cha­rity to lay downe our liues for the good of our neighbours, euen as Christ Iesus did, all that hee did, not for himselfe, whether in his birth, Nobis [Page 256] natus, hee was borne for vs, or in his life, nobis datus, he was giuen to vs, or at his departure, Ex­pedit vobis, it was expedient for you that hee should ascend. All the actions of our Sauior were commodious and profitable for vs, & not behooue­full for himselfe. Let no man seek his own, but the wealth of others, saith the Apostle. Loue loueth our neighbours all, yea and aboue our selues.

I need not resolue you who is your neighbor. The Samaritane in Saint Luke, Luc. 10. in compassion and true loue spareth neither his wine, nor his oyle, nor his personal pains, setting the wounded man on his owne beast, and bringing him to the Inne, and taking farther order for farther char­ges requisite, knowing that there was a mutuall neighbourhoode, not euer by neerenes of place, but for necessity and extremity of pure neede. And he that loueth cannot lacke the vnderstanding to discerne who is a neighbour. Loue is wise, and Loue is euer willing to doe any good to any man to the vttermost.

The incon­uenience of diuision.3 If the excellency of louing bee so great, the inconuenience of not louing cannot bee little. And in not louing is not ment a meere want of charity, but which euer ensueth, where charitie wanteth, a present enducement of the contrarie quality.

And where the cōtrary affections raign, there is snarling and biting and deuouring, and a plain consuming one of the other. For the diuided [Page 257] house cannot endure. And it is an euil land that deuoureth their own inhabitants, and the spirit of the lord doth not lightly rest in these whirlewind-spirits, such as troubled the Galathians, and tur­moile impertinently euery place where euer they come without lawefull and necessary cause, as if they were made of wild-fier to enflame and burn vp the world. O Lord if it be thy wil, take away al iust occasion of mislike, & quench all their furies, which seeke occasions there, where none are offe­red. The dew and grace of thy holy spirit can doe al this, may it please thy goodnes to grant vs this fauour, in Christ Iesu. So be it, Amen.

Albeit the roote of sinne be deepe, and the cor­ruption of fleshly hidde and lurke in the inwarde parts, yet the woorks thereof are not obscure, but euident to the ey, big, grosse, open and manifest, so that a man may soon know that the tree is naught by the vitious fruits it beareth. And if a man may iudge of the workman by his workes, some of the woorkes of the flesh, are adultery, fornication, vn­cleannes, wantonnes.

Fornication Adultery.Wantonnes breedeth vncleannes, vncleannes breaketh forth into sinful fornication, where the partes are single, and into abominable adultery where either party offending is a married person. By the Law of God the adulterer and the adulte­resse [Page 258] shal dy: moriendo morientur: Leuit. 20. there should bee no remedy. There were Lawes among the Gen­tils to the same effect. But Iuuenal complaineth, Lex Iulia dormis? May not wee rather, Lex Ieho­uae dormis?

Whether Adul­terie should be death.There is a great deale of questioning about this matter, whether the penalty of adultery must necessarily bee death or no, for it may be, and that it deserueth there is no question.

Giue me leaue to say thus much, that if it were death, adulteries woulde bee fewer, quarrels of marrying againe after adultery, the adultresse li­uing, would not be so rife, and loue to the certaine vndoubtedly known and only children, would be much increased betweene the Parents.

If a man steale xij. d, hee shall bee hanged, if a man abuse twelue mens wiues, yet he may liue.

The peace is broken in my Ox, or Horse, is the peace kept when my wiue is defiled, & my daugh­ters deflored?

Other vices swarme, but this is a Noes flud. Young men are no niggards: Olde men are no wasters: countrimen are no ruffins, nor townsmē quarrelers. But old and yong, towne and country had neede to looke better to this vice.

There is no good giuing place to a flattering sinne. Nature is frail, and the flesh lusteth against the spirite, and there is no sirding at all for a man that standeth vppon a Pinnacle. Wherefore all causes, yea al occasions of this way sinning must [Page 259] be deuoyded.

Praeparatiues to vncleannes,Shal I be plain? or why should I not? painting of faces: frisling of hair: mōsterous starcht suppor­ted rufs: pride vpon pride in apparel: exces of diet: minsing dances: wanton gestures: ribaldry talke: amorous ditties: vaine discourses: Venus court, and the Pallace of pleasures, and the like where­in there is no Pallas, no wit, verily no true wis­dome: all these for the most part, are nothing but the ministers many times of much vncleannes: and the Apostle who cannot abide any wanton­nes, would he tolerate these enormities? Go to the commandement, and study wel the precept, Thou shalt not commit adultery, and these follies, these preparatiues to adultery will soone be forsa­ken.

As our Sauiour,Iohn. 8.4. when talke was about the woman that was taken [...]. in the act, hee stooped downe, and wrote on the ground, so I could desire to speak as if it were vnder a vaut in most secret termes for the amendment of this sinne, but the works of darknes are become bould, and men are not ashamed of their turpitude and shame, and they can looke thorough a white sheete, and neuer blush.

The Israelites made of the house of God the house of iniquity: the Iewes of the temple of God a denne of Theeues: but these offenders make the Temples of the holy Ghost, and the members of Christ that should bee, the members of an harlot [Page 260] and the Temples of the holy Ghost they make to be the cage of vncleane birds, a very sty for hogs, and a stable for horse, that neieth after that which is none of his owne. O Lord, were it not better, or is it not the nature of mariage, & thine holy or­dinance, that for the 1 Cor. 7.2. auoiding of fornication, e­uery man should haue his wife, and euery woman her husband, and beeing in that honorable state, should keepe themselues from strange flesh, shrou­ding themselues from all inconueniences vnder the broad vine leafe of thine owne planting?

If any man or woman among vs haue offen­ded herein, let neither him nor her henceforth ad drunckennes to thirst, let him not walowe in this mire any more; let him rise vp by repentance, let him vomit out by confession this surfeiting: and let him deepely consider that he is made after the image of God which he should not deface: that he is the member of Christ, which he may not prosti­tute, and that our bodies are as an holy place if we know so much, euen the Temples of the holy spirite: which howe it is greeued with these trans­gressions, it hath beene told you at sundry times.

[Page 261] Paul entendeth not to make a iust beadrol, and ful computation of all sinnes that eyther were in the Galathians, or might arise out of the flesh, or els to marshal euery vice and disorder in a precise order.

Certaine manifest enormities are onely tou­ched, and in the end he addeth [and such like] and of them al he denounceth that they wil weigh a man to hell, and exclude vs from heauen, if they bee not seene vnto, and therefore hee forewarneth, and re­doubleth his warning. Careful fore­warnings im­port an euident foresight of im­minent danger. Wherein in is exemplified 1. The diligence of the minister, to foretell, and foretell againe, euer to crie and neuer cease: and 2. The imminent daunger of sinning, appeareth by the earnest warning. For what shooter would cry aware aware, when the arrow commeth no­thing neere the standers by? What workman vn­dersetteth the house that standeth sure? What Physicion carefully cureth him, that needeth no cure, and is not sick? Pauls double care doth eui­dently argue their manifold peril.

It were ouer-long vppon the onely naming of many seuerall faultes to enter long discourse in particular, because there are sundry proper textes in Scripture more fit for such purposes.

Idolatrie. Notwithstanding in a word to goe ouer euery thing: the next work of the flesh is Idolatry, wher­of before.Pag. 156. And therefore thereof I say no more, but blessed be the Almighty God, who hath remoued al hil Altars, idoll Priestes, and such late Idola­try [Page 262] as was not heard of, neither in Babylon, nor in Aegypt it selfe.

Babylon thought that her Gods did eate, but Popery thought and taught that God was eaten, chewed with teeth, swallowed with throte, and (I abhorre to vtter it) conueied into the bellies of worse than men.

Of old Aegypt Israel learned to worshippe a calfe, and when Moyses was but a smal while ab­sent, and though he left be hind him a sufficient cu­rat, yet the people would needs haue it so, and they contributed their very eare-rings to make, and they made an idoll. But that Idol-calfe was not comparable to the Popish Idol-cake, which they fall downe before, and adore the woorkmanship of mans hands, and say, my Lord, and my God to a peece of bread, nay to round and white, and they know not to what.

Witchcraft.The next woorke of the flesh heere specified is witchcraft. Which is a bad sory craft, and a sinful occupation. Yet whether any such thing be or no, some haue conceaued some doubt. But they who say that there be no witches, consequently say al­so that there is no witching. But if there be anie witchcraft, there must needs be witches. And if there could be no witching, why doth our Apostle cal witchcraft a work, and a thing of importance, debarring vs from the inheritaunce of heauen.

As wel may they say, that enuy, enmity, hatred, adultery and murther, &c. are not at al, as well as [Page 263] witchcraft. For al these offences are iointly writ­ten in like letters, and Paul saith that these are things manifest, and as it were Printed in Capi­tall letters.

A wise Dscouerie of witchcraft. To make it a little more manifest to weake eies, that cannot discerne much in this case, were not amisse, but vnlearned prophane silly-folly fables shoote farre wide of such a mark.

Not to go beyond my text: wichcraft is naught, ergo it is: witchcraft is forbidden, ergo it is: for if it were not at al, why is it forbidden as being, and being naught?

Sainct Paul Gal. 3.1. borrowing a similitude from a thing without controuersie knowen to be, and that could naturally lend the speech which he ment to borow, questioneth with these Galathians, and as­keth who had [spiritually] bewitched them and dealt with them so in spiritual matters to distort, trouble & [...]. infect them, as there was no question but witches deal by Gods secret sufferance in ca­ses external of witching effections, yet no farther than God permitteth, and most times nothing so far as euery body vpon priuate fancy many times vainly imagineth.

Most of the vices which follow, are hatred, and debate, emulations, wrath, contentions, seditions, heresies, enuy, murthers &c.

Where a man hateth, it is an easie matter to fall at variaunce both in common weale matters [Page 264] and Church causes. And where sinne entereth, it forceth to goe on, and neuer resteth, in any meane degree.

The sanctified flesh, doth not sanctifie, but the polluted polluteth. Hagg. 2.13. A litle wormwood maketh honny bitter, twise so much honny cannot sweetē some litle iuyce of wormwood. Sinnes growe a­pace and goe by heapes and thraues together the broad way: hatred, debate, emulations, wrath, al­together &c.

Sinne groweth quicklie and goeth on forciblie.In the booke of Iosue Iosh. 7. Acam confessed that hee saw, coueted, tooke and buried in his tentes the Babylonish weede and the sickles of siluer, From seeing the cursed thing, he proceeded incontinent­ly to coueting, from coueting, to conueying it to himselfe, and hiding it in his tentes exprestie a­gainst the Lords commandement, in so much that sin may say as Caesar said, Veni, vidi, vici, I come, I see, I conquere, (as you may see in euery par­ticular sin.) In the turning of an hand, I conquer where I come, and I consume where I conquere, and neuer rest, but as the fier, till I haue wasted all. I hate, and where I hate, I striue, and strife, hatred, emulation, wrath, contention, sedition, en­uy proceede to open murdering of soules by here­sies, and of bodies by cruell handes, euen like as they report of some kinde of horseleach that tur­neth into a serpent, and that serpent becommeth a fiery Dragon.

But (my brethren) wil you hate, & must you be [Page 265] angry? Beholde I shewe you matter to occupie these affections vpon. Enter into thine own soul, summon thine owne conscience, controule thine owne doings, and be angry with thine anger, hate all hatred, and if thou wilt murther, murther thy sinnes, and sit in iudgement against thy selfe, ab­hor all impiety, idolatry, heresies, schismes, and sectes, &c. God hath spoken it, Paul hath written it, that flesh and blood, the works of the flesh, shall not inherit the kingdome of God.

It is an inheritaunce, and therefore free, and a kingdom not prepared by mans meriting, but yet wilfull sinners shall not enter, much lesse inherit this kingdome.

The vncleane body, the polluted, the vnchari­table & restles man, the irefull sinner, and conten­tious humor, cannot inherit the rest of God, his kingdome is but for fit subiects. This inheritance is only prepared for dutiful heires, for the genera­tion of the chast, for Godly mindes, for peacea­ble children, for haters of hatred, and louers of peace.

Drunkennes. Gluttonie.The two last faults are drunkennes and glut­tony, the one maketh in the body a sinck, the other a dung hill. For deuoiding of them both, hee sayd well who faide: Nature is contented with litle, and Grace with lesse. The waterish, marish, and plashy groundes breedeth nothing but frogs, and toades, and such like vermine: and the full bellie bringeth foorth onely a fumy, smoky, foggy sense. [Page 266] The kingdome of God which is aboue sense and reason, consisteth not either in the superstitious refusing, or seruile abusing of meates or drinkes, and lightly hee who farceth the body, starueth the soule.

And this is a singular infirmity of sinful flesh, that is either caught vp in a whirle-poole, Touch not, tast not, or sunk in a quicke sand, let vs eate, and drinke like Epicures and belligods, for to morrow we shal dy, and there is an end. Nay not so: for as you who so offend, shall bee excluded the inheritance of euerlasting life, so shall you also for such enormities be tormented for euer in endlesse paines, without repentance.

The rich glutton in the Gospel goeth gaily, fa­reth deliciously euery day, al purple aboue, silcke within, diet most exquisite. He taketh his rest in idlenes, eateth in gluttony, quaffeth in druncken­nes, passeth the time in [...].iocondnes. But Lazarus lieth after another sort, being sicke and coulde not stand, but was faine to ly downe at the gate, and lay in open sight euen at the gate, & was no coun­terfet, but ful of sores, and not able to driue away the dogges, and a small almes would haue serued him, for he was but one person, and he required no great matter, but a fewe crommes, and euen such as fell from the rich mans table, but this rich man releeueth him not: himselfe and his eate all, drinke all, or wastfully spill all. But was this all?

[Page 267] This proude greedy Hauke, or rather Rite, that was thus pruned and trimmed euery day, thus curiously fed, so carefully kept, thus gorgi­ously vsed, in fine he dieth soudenly, and straite he plumpeth downe to hell, and there is detained in euerlasting torments, and so is storied to be for an ensample to al that so egregiously delight to pam­per the flesh, and cram the body.

Contrary causes produce contrary effectes. The fleshe and the spirit are contrary, and there­fore the workes of the one, and the fruites of the o­ther are contrary. And therefore also these fruites of the spirite, come not at all from the contrarie cause which is the flesh, but from the spirit alone, which doth incubate, fructifieth and woorketh in our nature, otherwise not onely barren of good woorkes, but quite repugnant to all goodnesse. For in whom the fleshe ruleth, you heard howe it worketh: but whom the spirite guideth, you see [Page 268] what fruits spring thence, & only thence: to wit: Loue, Ioy, Peace, and euery gracious vertue.

The caterpillers of the Orchard where these fruits should grow, were the aboue named vices. Paul distinctly noteth three in the ende of this Chapter: 1. Ambition. 2. Contention. 3. Enuy.

1 Euerie thing hangeth in the ambitious mans light. 2. The contentious man is neuer content, 3. But the enuying eye is not possibly quiet.

Ambition.1 Ambition is a tree that groweth in euerie ground, rooteth deepe, and spreadeth wide, espe­cially being watered with folly, selfe-loue, and pride.

For as humility, contentation, lowlinesse, are seldome found: so an aspiring minde, as the catch­ing bramble resteth and prooueth in euery mans brest.

The baits of pomp are sondry, the weak brain of man is fanciful, flesh is soone puft vp, and there is leauen enough in the world to make it rise and swell. And set but a beggar on horsebacke, and he will ride a gallope. Yea our nature is as the vnta­med colt, except it be kept in and held short, and rained hard, there wil be no rule. The towne, the country, the great City, generally all flesh hath an ouer-weening thought of it selfe.

When the Peacoch vieweth her fowl feet, she laieth downe her proud feathers, and yet a litle after forgetting all that, she pranketh vp herselfe [Page 269] as before; In like manner when God toucheth vs somewhat neare, doubtlesse the godly stoupe full low, & fall downe flat as Paul from his horse, but being raised vp againe, wee doe not euer consider thoroughly by what strength we were raised, and when he remoueth his hand, wee strait forget that it was euer laide vpon vs, and to what end, to wit, to teach vs humblenesse, meekenesse, sobriety, pa­tience, and al goodnes for euermore.

The last enimy that the Godly in Christ shall ouercome, is death, but one of the last, and that not the least, is a vaine conceit, either of being vaine, or tending to vaine glory.

And this is a general fault, yea the very heard­man thinketh as well of his horne, as of the siluer trumpet, the minoe in the fresh water is as proud as the whale of the sea: the pricking fruitles * thi­stle is as high minded as the profitable Cedar.

Austine in his Lib. 6. cap. 6. confessions agnizeth plainely his imperfection in this behalfe, in sense confessing thus: I gaped full wide after promotion, honour, gaine, a good mariage and the like, and in seeking to satisfie these my lusts, I endured many a hard brunt, much bitternes, and sundry dangers. On a day I was to make an Oration before the Empe­rour or Gouernour, therein I tooke not a little pains to depaint out his praises, therby entending to purchase some fauour and credite, and opinion of credit with his honour.

But as I was in the way, and while my head [Page 270] was ful, and my hart heauy, and I as it were with child, til this wind were vented, and I deliuered of that, which I had conceaued, I met a beggerly drunkē rogue, that sang ful merily, and was mar­ueilous excessiue pleasaunt. I stoode and conside­red the man, and compared his state. At last I be­gan to reason with my companions, that it went far better with this fellow, than it fared with me, by how much mirth is better than sorrow, a glad­some hart, than a heauy soule: and albeit it might be said that the ioy I might conceaue of my lear­ning were to be preferred, verily I must confesse where that fault secretly wringeth, alas my lear­ning, knowledge and study, is more bent to please, than to profit, to speak to the eare, than to the con­sciences of men. And this is a very vanity.

And though the druncken mans mirth may seeme more vile than a fancy of vaine glory, yet it is not so. For to glory, but not in the Lord, is the greatest shame. To seeke to bee great, but not in Christ, is the weightiest sinne. To striue for honor in the kingdom of humility, is worse than a drun­kennes.

Againe, the begger getteth a penny or two ea­sily, and so a drunkennes of so small a charge, is soon disgessed with one nights sleep: but the price of vaine glory is ouer-costly, and the giddines it bringeth, is not so soone concocted. I goe to bed many nightes and rise many a morning, yet stil my drunckennes is the same it was &c.

[Page 271] Thus could Austen bethink himselfe, and such was his humble confession to God, and sober con­ference with his companions. And this did hee turne the sinne of another to the reformation of himselfe. And herein is true wisedome, and who can so doe, can do as much for the auoiding of this sinne as I can say, if I should pen all that was ex­emplified and debated more largely by the fall of Adam, the confusion of Babel, Hamans gallowes and Absolons tree, and the rest of such like ambi­tious heads hung vp in sight and view of al, to de­terre men from this aspiring sin, whereby many get vp hardly, and come down headlong, and leaue behind them a shamefull remembrance in their ruines.

Contention.2 The second principall bile in the body of the Church or common weal is Contention. For though ambitiō be euer contending, yet euery con­tention is not ambition. For a contentious nature wil striue for a straw, and except he striue, hee can­not liue. Ismaels hand must needes bee against e­uery man, though euery mans hande be against him againe euen for that cause, because he is con­tentious.

I neuer speak to rebate true zeal, and to make men as we term them, rebated protestants, or to blunt the edge of good contending. For it is a good thing to striue for good things.

If the cause be gods, if it be a cleare case ruled by the Scripture, if it be a matter of faith & truth [Page 272] that is oppugned, contend, but yet wisely, accor­ding to the place of thy calling, and the ability of thy person in al orderly proceeding.

If it be an oth matter, a statute of your towne whereunto you are sworne, a peece of your char­ter, a common vtility touching your hospital, and the benefite of many, contend, and spare not, yet lawfully and warily, for contention euē in a good cause is an edged toole, and must be warily dealt withall. And the meeke answere refracteth anger, & remedieth all many times, as the soft woolpack or featherbed deadeth the gunshotte and breaketh the sword. But the froward nature enioyeth no­thing but vnquietnes. And happy are they that blesse him who curseth them.

Againe, if thou see a theefe stealing, and thy neighbor spoiled, if thou bee ouer mannerly in ma­king out the fresh pursuit, and so conceall the tres­passe, thou art an abetter of euil, and a maintainer of theft, and guilty before God, who euer thou bee, and in this respect it is better to be reputed a bu­sie iustice than a quiet gentleman.

Againe, if thou knowe the haunt of practising Recusantes, of perilous Iesuits, and traiterous Priestes, and sayest in thine heart let him that is a cold blow the cole, I wil be no buzy-body, nor con­tentious accuser, I am no officer, I am no keeper of my brother, euen so said Cain. But in attach­ing a traitour, euery man is an officer, and euery man is bound to giue in euidence. And art thou a [Page 273] keeper of thine owne life, and soul? Then care for thy neighbour, care for the weale-publick, care for the mother of our Country, care for the Church of Christ, as carefully as for thy selfe, and seeke to tread vpō those spiders that would poison a whole Realme. If it were thy priuate case, thou woul­dest bestir thee; and yet thy priuate case is infol­ded in the common: & therefore striue and contend to the vtmost. For the end of this strife is perfect peace.

Enuie.3 The third caterpiller was Enuy. As cha­rity is not suspicious, to mistrust the worst, so en­uy misconstereth al, & controuleth euery thing. If there be any good thing in a man, it is an eye-sore to the enuious man. If there by any fault, it is meate and drink to him, he hath somewhat to al­leage, why he should generally mislike.

Where this vice rooteth, it is the mother of murther, the cōfusiō of nature, the enemy of frind­ship, the banishment of vertue, the very ruine and bestruction both of the enuied, and the enuious, and Sathan who thrue Adam out of Paradize, thrue himselfe first by enuying out of heauen.

And yet such is the cecity and blindnesse of A­dams children, that some who woulde seeme most perfect, thinke that perfection consisteth in this, that they cā speak most bitterly against their bet­ters, and if his or his nose driuell, they see it, but their owne ishues of blood passe from them with­out any sense.

[Page 274] There were in Austines time, that were pale with fasting, but blew with enuy; abstained from wine, but were drunken with poison.

Enuy is compared to smoke, which goeth vp­ward, and yet not verie high, but skimming vppe and downe, and so doth enuy. For no meane man enuieth the Prince, or Pieres of the Realme. And as the smoke vanisheth away when it riseth to a­ny height, so if a man be past reach, enuy manie times turneth into flattery, and when a man is dead, enuy entreth not into the graue.

While men haue the presence of an austere, sin­cere and godly wise men, O wee say he is too pre­cise, he reproueth our waies. When he is depar­ted, then we can say, we shal neuer haue the like.

So that euidently Enuy is a thing which is conceaued by the eye, or the care: as when Caine saw the Abels sacrifice was accepted, he enuied his brother, and proceeded to the slaughter of A­bel. And euen such was the rage of this fury, that neither brotherly affection, nor the immanity of the fact, nor the feare of God, nor the greeuousnes of the punishment could withhold him from com­mitting the trespasse.

In the first of Samuel we read how the soul of Ionathan was knit to Dauid, how Micol loued Dauid, as her beloued husband, how the people had Dauid in deserued admiration for his noble Acts, how the daughters of Israel receaued Dauid comming from the conquest with Musick and in­struments, [Page 275] singing, Saul hath slain his thousand, and Dauid his ten thousand.

Dauid indeed behaued himselfe valiantly, and wisely, the people and the weomen gaue him his due. But what followeth vpon this?

Saul looketh awry vpon Dauid, and waxeth ex­ceeding wrath at the faburden of the song, in so­much, that the morrow after the euil spirit came vpon Saul.

But Dauid endeuouring to doe good for euill, plaieth vppon his harpe, wherein he was skilled, and seeketh by al meanes to asswage his Masters maladies. But what doth Saul? He riseth vp, and throweth his Iaueling with full purpose to naile his faithful seruant fast enough vnto the wal.

In which story at large we see enuy no doubt bred vpon an inwarde corruption, but stirred vp greatly by the sight and commendation of the good things in Dauid, and therin wee see how hee chafed in mind and hee changed his countenance, and it cast him into a raue.

And albeit wee reade that Dauids playing did somtimes qualifie his troubled spirits, yet al that Dauid could doe, as the conquering of Goliah, his cunning on the instrument, his valiantnes against Gods enimies, his familiarity with Ionathan, his mariage with Micol, his fauour with the people, his sparing Sauls owne person in the den, all these things could neuer scoure out the rust, doe awaie this rancor, and make cleane the glasse of his con­ceat, [Page 276] whereby he might haue discerned a true sub­iect, a faithful seruant, an excellent, and an inno­cent person.

Yea, the moe Dauids giftes and graces were, and the more he was prospered of God, and liked of the people, all these was more wood to the fier, and farther matter for his enuious imagination, to fret it self vpon: euen as in the fable of the snake comming into the smithes forge, and finding a file there, & seing it had teeth, thought nothing should haue teeth but it selfe, and began to licke it, and licked so long til she had licked off her tongue: so Saul could neuer be quiet, and Dauids good deeds successiuely following still one vpon another, en­creased Sauls greefe and out-rage continually so much the more as the fier burneth, and in burning consumeth it selfe: so was it with Saul, and so is it with al enuious men.

One of the philosophers for a punishment, could wish to the enuious person nothing, but that hee might haue many eies and eares to see and heare, the good haps and prosperity in other men. For then is he lanced and cut, and pearced with such e­uentes, as it were with kniues and arrowes, and sharp weapons on euery side, where he discerneth any good.

Who euer he were that wrote those collations ad Serm. 18. Aug. Tom. 10. fratres in Eremo, among recital of sundry en­samples that Basil and Cyprian and others had touched before him, as of Caius enuying the sacri­fice [Page 277] of [...]el, which was accepted, Esaus enuying Iacob [...], when yet hee had sold it, the Pa­triarkes enuying of Ioseph, for their fathers li­king, and Sauls enuying of good Dauid &c. A­mongest other parables hee likeneth enuy to the worme in the greene gourde, that shadowed the prophet, to the worms in Manna, that marred the Angels foode, to the frogs in Aegypt in their fai­rest parlers.

Among the rest, he compareth an enuious man to the Phoenix, and they say, there is but one bird of that kinde. In deede it were to bee wished that there were neuer such a Phoenix at all as enuie is.

The story or the conceaued opinion of this bird is: that she gathereth togither the driest and swee­test sticks of Synomom, and the like, and carieth them vp to some high mountaine and hote place neere the sunne, and with flapping her winges vp and downe ouer the pile of stickes shee incenseth them, and enflameth her self withal, and both burn in one fier.

And this is right enuy, which to burne another mans house setteth his owne house on fier: and to put out both another mans eies, wil be desirous at least to loose one of her owne, yea and is content that her owne bowels may be eaten out, to bring forth a viperous effect.

Paul teacheth vs a fairer way that we prouoke not one another, but that we preuent one another [Page 278] in giuing honor, and enuying no man, and neuer contending, but vppon necessary, and butifull occasions, crucifieng the fleshe, which woulde otherwise rancle and fester; and the affections of the fleshe which will boile and seeth, and the lustes of the fleshe which against the true liberty of the spirit.

And thus if we liue in the spirit; the life of the spirit is the death of the flesh, and backwarde, the life of the fleshe, is the death of the spirite, which maketh a man as colde as a stone, and as stiffe as a dead man, that wee cannot wagge, much-lesse walcke in the waies of Godlinesse. of righteousnesse and temperate behauiour in any good path. But the Lorde loueth a bo­die, that is deade to sinne, and hee al­together delighteth in the soule, that liueth through his spirite: For without his spirite, wee cannot liue.

CHAP. VI.

FOR a preserua­tiue against the vices last spoken of, viz. ambi­tion, strife & enuy, the best treacle is to take a quite contrary diet. The am­bitious, the contentious, the enuious mā wil keep a needelesse stur, and trouble euery man without all cause. But the contented Christian, desireth to pacifie al things, and to help euery where, where help is wanting.

Sathan is a mighty enimy, and man is weak, and flesh is fraile, and our waies are slippery.

[Page 280] Now if a man, which is better than thy neigh­bours Ox, or Asse, whereof notwithstanding in ca­ses, thou standest charged, if a man, nay, if any man, thy like in nature, and brother in Christ, if any man (for all may) not onely of thy friends, or thy kinne, or some of thy family, but if anie man be supprised by Sathan, preuented by suttlety, inueigled by sleights, intised by sinners, taken and vpon the suddain [...]. ouer-taken by infirmity, what is to be doone?

He that is fallen may rise againe, reach-forth thy hand and help him vp. A member dislocated, & out of ioynt may bee set in againe, restore such a member, yea restore you such a man saith the A­postle that is fallen out of the order, and place, he should haue kept himselfe in. [...].

Mutual help.If one walke alone, and no man goe with him, nor any man care for him, and fall, then is his fall the more dangerous. Likewise the single thread is soone snapt a sunder, but when men intertwist themselues in mutual loue, to help one the other, the double, the triple-folde woorke is like to hold out.

In like manner, if men could and would ioine in one, to the behoofe of one another, I see no rea­son why things may not bee wel restored and re­formed without any great a-do.

The Spirit of Lenitie.The maner of this restoring is not to play the rude Chirurgian, but to do al that may be, in the spirit of lenitie. The good sheepehard laieth the [Page 281] straied sheepe, that straid by simplicity, on his own shoulders: the tender mother carieth the sicke childe in her armes: the mercifull Samaritan set­teth the wounded man vppon his owne beast, and himselfe goeth a foote.

Yet note, there is a difference between simpli­citie and wilfulnesse, betweene fore and fore, lea­per and leaper, plague and plague, fault & faults, sinners and sinners.

But this is the property of a peruerse zeale and perfect hypocrisie to stand most vpon trifles, mint and commin, and vpon matters of lesse im­portance, to stick at a straw, & stride ouer a block, to swallow an Oxe, and straine a Gnat, to hallow with hue and cry after a mote, as if the sheepheard shoulde still trouble the weake sheepe, and let the scabbed ram walke at will, and spread his venom throughout the whole flock.

No, brethren. If any man be howsoeuer pre­uented in a fault, let him be restored in the spirite of lenity, and with meeke discretion in a proporti­onable rate.

There is a publique restoring, and there is a priuate restoring. You are priuate men, and yet priuate men rather looke into publique orders than into their priuate owne doings. And in deed, as he said, nos quoque eruditos oculos habemus, you see somewhat, and you say, as much as you see.

The execution of the Law is the life of the Law.There is order taken for commuting of pe­nance, and the open restoring of the penitent. But [Page 282] (I grant) lawes without execution are no lawes. Quid leges sine moribus? Vanae proficiunt. There is no profite by such lawes: nay they are lawlesse, and as if they were no lawes at al. And therefore a lat­ter law comming after, with full meaning to put in execution the former law, is said to reuiue such a law, therby inferring plainly, that the law wan­teth life, and is deade, when it lacketh execution.

In the most honourable audience of the high court of Parliament they were the words of wise and right worthy Sir Nicolas Bacon, the Lord Keeper (whose memorie is as the memory of Iosi­as, very sweete in euery mans mouth) his wordes were: that the best instruments and sharpest wee­ding tooles did the garden no good, though they were prepared, and if they were laid vp in the store house, and not put to vse: and so forth to the same purpose much.

But I am beside my Text, pardon me: in one word, your selues haue made, & you haue lawes, and yet notwithstanding, as if you had none, you who can find fault with others, why doe you not execute your owne lawes and mulctes appointed for the restoring of greater repaire to the hearing of the holy word of the Lord? Wil you see men fall from god, and fal to vice and profanenesse euen the Lecture time, and will ye not restore these mem­bers to their old order? If you were spirituall, no doubt, these things would be better ordered. For shame looke to it.

[Page 283] The ground of the Apostles exhortation for the maner of restoring is, because they be spiritu­al, and for that the Lawe of Christ requireth that men deale with men as meekely and louely as they may, wherein I obserue two notes, 1. The cause of their standing, who stood when others fel, 2. Then the vrgent duety to endeuor to raise vp them who are fallen.

1 The cause why wee stand, is not in the strength of our selues ye that are spiritual, it com­meth from Gods spirit, & verse 3. If any man seem to himselfe to bee [but] somewhat, hee is decea­ued. The spirit is ready, but the flesh is weak, and al the readines we haue to stand to it in persecuti­on, to persist in al temptations, either outwardly assalting or inwardly molesting, is from the spirit of God, because we are spiritual.

The Popish partition betweene spiritual and temporal, as if amongest them, and their orders, e­uery doore keeper, Church sweeper, bel ringer, or taper bearer &c. were necessarily spiritual men, and all men else were not spirituall, is a toy, and wel confuted of D. Bilson of Christian sub­iection. part. 1. Pag. 244. late. Paul writing generally to the Galathians calleth them by that which they should bee, spirituall, in the cariage of themselues mutually one to another.

Wherein my note is to that end wee looke vp­ward to the spirit of Gods assistaunce, and to his powerfull hand that holdeth vs vp that are ready to fal. There were 7000. that did not adore Baal, [Page 284] and not so much as bow their knees to the Idoll, but this came not of themselues, but they were kept vp by God. The candlesticks in the Reuela­tion are held vp by no other hād, but by the hand of Christ. Wherfore (as it is in the song of Anna) it is God that ruleth the woorlde, it is the Lorde who guideth and directeth the feet of his Saints, it is his woorde that teacheth, and his spirite that conducteth his chosen seruants.

The Lawe of Christ.2 The vrgentnes is also thereby enforced of a good duty toward the repairing of a sinner, that the Law of Christ prouoketh vs thereunto.

The Law of Moses is full of feare and terror, but the Law of Christ is ful of loue, and as the bo­dy is a perfect body, that is sustained with meate and drinke inwardly, and kept warme externally with clothes, so the faithfull man is a right Chri­stian, that feeleth within the food of life, the conso­lation of the spirit, and the comfort of Christ: and in the exercise of good works and brotherly kind­nes as it were, thorough clothes to warme and to foster his good actions, and all this after the commandement, law and ensample of our Saui­our, who did al that he did for others, and nothing for himselfe, euen as the sheepe, both in fell and flesh, is for his owner and not for himselfe.

Wherefore, brethren, let vs suffer one with an other, euen for his sake that suffered for vs al. Let vs beare one an others burden for his sake, who vpō the crosse, bore al our burdēs. It is the law of [Page 285] christ that it shold so, not thereby that we become sauiors of our selues, but because he hath saued vs already, and therefore may make a Lawe for his saued which most willingly they must walke in.

He that consi­dereth wel his owne faults, will the better beare will the im­perfection of other men.The hye-way thereunto is, if a man can des­cend into him-selfe, & if that his considerations be like Solomons windows Skued to giue light ra­ther into the house, thā that a mā may stand at the windowe to loke abroad: and if he iudge himselfe rather than others, and proue himselfe, and know & say, that if such, or such a one be a sinner, in such or such a case by infirmity, well, euen I either haue bin, or am perchance, and certainly by na­ture am, and therefore may be, if now I am not as great an offender as that my brother, and there­fore I must and wil doe for him as I would wish to be done vnto my selfe, seeking to restore him, as wel as I can, and that with al lenity.

For there is no insulting vppon or vpbraiding of one another man in a fault. The mariners of Tharsis fell to casting of lottes to know who was the sinner, but that God had a purpose therein, the lots might haue fallen rather vpon any of the ma­riners, than vpon Ionas.

In Paradise there were but two, and they two being both faulty, began to post off their sinne the one to the other, but it went not by that: euerie man shal beare his owne burden. And a quiet conscience is a continuall feast. And that consci­ence which is blowen vp in pride, and goeth for a [Page 286] time merrily like the wind-mill with the gale of vaine praise, or selfeliking, or that conscience, that can disgest yron like the Estrige, that is, al his own bad doings, and yet square it out, and compare it with other men, one day shal it bee called to his proper account, and when the mowing time shall come, the proud blasted eare, shall ly as low as the lowest, and shal seeme no taller than his fellowes, nor better indeede than it is in it selfe.

The mainte­nance of the Ministerie. Paul is led in the spirit to direct the Galathi­ans from point to point, as they most needed, and wher as the infirme sinner, was ouer hardly dealt withal and no man would beare with his brother, and euery man was partially affected, yea & wher as hee who sought to reforme them most, and to teach them best in better waies, was least regar­ded amongst them, our apostle both for the former matters, told them, and so for this last point shew­eth what is their duety in that respect, saying: Let him that is taught [among other lessons] learne [Page 287] this withall, to releeue his teacher.

In the one and twentith of Iosue the principal fathers of the Leuits demaunded their due when they were not thought of, and passed ouer, in the di­uision: wherein certes appeareth a great ouer sight so litle to regard the Lordes commandement but priuate care as then it did, so now also wil marre al, if the Lords portion be not looked vnto.

And I note yet that in that iniury, the yonger Leuits deale not by heapes disorderly, but the grauest & chiefest fathers take the matter in hand, and they demaund their due. For right is right, and may be demanded: and that which the lord al­loweth, is a very right, and it is no shame to aske our owne, that is ful painfully deserued.

Who is he that goeth to warfare vpon his own charges? We fight the battles of the Lord in your behalfe.

Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not the fruite thereof? One planteth, another watereth, an other diggeth, ditcheth, and hurleth outstones that may hinder your growth in Christ.

Who feedeth a flock, & eateth not of the milck? We lead you into the Lords pastures, wee watch day and night ouer your souls, we encounter with Wolues, we endure the parching beate, and chil­ly cold of al inconueniences for your sakes.

Then if we be as the souldiour in the camp, as the laborer in the vineyard, as the carefull sheepe-heard amongst his flock, should not these charges [Page 288] be defraid? Our pains respected? Our persons re­warded?

It is enacted and ordered by God himselfe, that the Or mouth that treadeth out the corne (as the fashion then was) should not bee musted. Hath God care of Oren? I knowe hee hath, but much more of men, that sow the seede of life, that labour in his spirituall haruest, that thresh the sheaues, that winnow, that grind the corne, that bake the bread, & that break to you the bread of your souls. They that serued but at the Altar, liued of the offerings, and the offerings were certain for the most part.

In the new Testament, why is the work-man lesse worthy of his wages than before? They taught in types, we teach in the euidence of truth. They sacrificed beasts, we offer mens souls to God. They dealt out of the Lawe, we deliuer, and we preach the Gospel. We sow spiritual things vnto you, is it much, if we be partakers of your temporalities? We plow vp the vallow grounds of your harts, we shed into euery eare the seede of Gods woord, we pray incessantly for the increase of Gods grace amongst you all.

Poperie fed hir priests, shal the Gospel starue her ministers?Popery crambd the bellies, & stuffed the barns and butteries and latheries of a sort of sory hinds, that could doe nothing for the most part of them, but turne and wind before a heape of stones, tosse a wafer cake, rinse a challice, and mumble vp a seruice in a strange tongue. And can ye not af­fourd [Page 289] the laborsome ministery, a conuenient com­petency? Nay out of that cōpetency, which by the grace of god is yet left, the seruing-mā & the wai­ting-mayd many times think to make vp the re­cōpence of their bodily seruices, by some symoni­cal leprosie, by flat bargaining with some of their own cote: and therein verily is the greater griefe.

Prolers for liuinges.Wherefore as Pilat said to our Sauior, thine owne nation hath betraied thee, and as it is in the Prophet, ô Israel, thy destruction is of thy selfe: So, O my brethren of the Elergy, will you betray your selues? Will you prostitute the honor of your learning, the reputation of your good names, the quiet of your consciences, & the patri­mony of the Church to the couetous horseleech that can say nothing, but GIVE, GIVE. Or as Iudas said, What will ye giue me?

Rather liue and dy at your scholerly pittance, which your honorable founders bequeathed you, in your Colledges in the poore Vniuersities, than thus scrape and scamble, and flatter abroad, glo­zing with the woorld, and misreporting one ano­ther, impouerishing your learning, and begge­ring your selues by borrowed expenses, in your ordinary and endles prolings, yeelding matter for Satyr-writers, and mournefull Chronicles of shameful reproch to al posterity.

If things go forward, or rather so backwarde as some stick not to say they doe, whereof in truth I must cōfesse my selfe (I thank God) am no way [Page 290] experienced; but if it be so, I feare least as Christ once draue these Merchandizers out of the tem­ple, so this chafering in church matters wil driue out Christ (which God forbid) out of our church.

In speciall you, O Patrons of benefices, re­member the example of noble and worthy Dauid, who refused to drincke of the water, that was brought vnto him, because it was fetcht with the venture of blood. Remember you that in selling, you more than venture your owne souls, and that in buying is more than ventured the soule of the buyer. And will any man buy, or dare you sell, or suffer to be sold by your retinue the lords portion?

God wil not be answered with prittle-prat­tle disputes.I knowe the world is cunning, and can distin­guish, and iangle of tithes and church-liuings too and fro, till the cow come home, and that in some is borne withal, which in some others is sacrilege without any alteration of other circumstance, but that affection can winke when it will. When all is done, for I purpose not to enter particular dis­course thereof, the resolution of all in all is, God wil not be mocked.

A man may pul his better by the nose, and play with a mans beard: but if he reason against God, God wil not be out-reasoned. Ananias & Saphira could not deceaue the holy Ghost, and you read of their ende. Acan hid his theft, but not from God. Adam thought to couer himselfe in the shrubs, it coulde not bee. Saraes laughter, though it were stoln behind the doore, was seene of God. Elizeus [Page 291] may say, the Lord hath hidde or concealed this or that from mee, but no man can say, I can hide any thing from thee O lord, which searchest the reins, and seest the hart, and readest the booke of my con­science, though I would clasp and shut it vp neuer so fast. Thou art the God that wilt not bee moc­ked, and wilt mocke them that shal seeke to illude thy commandements, which thou hast so careful­ly prouided for the prouision of thy seruantes in their holy trauailes.

Though the Parson bee naught, yet the Parish must pay their tither.Yea mary, say some, if they would trauel, if our minister were such a souldiour, such an haruest man as you speake of, I could be content to haue giuen the benefice free at first, and still yet would I pay my tithes, and make him partaker of al my goods, euen by the tenth, which was an order, set downe before the Law, as a reasonable rate in na­ture, and vnder the Law of Moses continued, and by the positiue Law since, imitating the wisdome of God constituted by great consent of all Chri­stendome for the ministery, and the fry thereof in Vniuersities, & Schools, & Cathedral Churches, and collegeat houses, and separate parishes.

Yea if their sponges were full of holsome wa­ter, if their brestes of syncere milke, that we might sucke them, if wee were taught by them, we who are taught, would communicate of al our substance, very willingly to our teacher: but our Parson neuer commeth at vs, we neuer saw him since he read his Articles, and as we heare, he so­iournieth [Page 292] in some Hall or Colledge in one of the Vniuersities, and doth nothing there neither, that we may conceaue some hope that he will come to vs and doe vs some good heare-after.

I am sorry to heare these complaints, in part perhaps tru, in part I hope false: but suppose they be true, yet your benefices and tythes, by publicke Law are laide foorth, you must not priuately alter a publicke order. And as the Leuits and ministers (of whome I spake before) when there was a hard diuision made, & their part left out, yet were they not their owne caruers, but the ancient and chief­est amongst them brought their cause before Ele­azar and Iosue, and so order was taken. And I am sure you of the laity, as they speake, and yet ha­uing in your handes the Church-liuings which were giuen to spirituall vses, will not suffer that we enter vpon our owne, euen therefore because you haue by hooke or crooke gotten and impropri­ated them against al reason in the time of darcke­nesse into your handes.

Likewise no more may you deale euil with the euill, or refuse to render your tythes and duties, thereby not agnising God to bee the giuer and the blesser of your possessions, because some of Helies childrē play vnruly pranckes, either being present, or in their absence from their charge. No certes, and I am perswaded if discreet complaint in this necessary matter were made to Eleazar & Iosue in dutiful sort, some speedy remedy woulde [Page 293] haue bin thought of, & gone through with ere this.

Why? He that laboreth not, shold not eat. Tru. But priuate men must not barre men their com­mons at their discretion, no more than subiects may withdraw their fealty and tribute from Cae­sar, if Caesar should deal otherwise than beseemeth his imperial function. These reasons send to con­fusion and mutinies, and must be represt.

And yet (dear brother) as God wil not be moc­ked of the scholar that mocketh him in his tythes, so wil he not be mocked of thee, thou teacher, in thy security. Catechising. He that seeth the false-hood in tything, seeth also thy not teaching, the worde is Catechi­sing, whereby a most religious, & a godly Echo, is heard in the church of God, and the elements of religion are taught, and the euidences of our sal­uation are thoroughly perused to the euerlasting saluation of many a soule.

And though thy Parish deale corruptly with thee, they in the end shal reape as they sowed. But deale thou according to duty, tille thy lande, cast thy seede and that plentifully, couer it warily, and commit the successe to God, and possesse thy soule in hope and patience, and in the end the Lord will be thy sufficient reward, far exceeding al the com­modities out harde and pinching masters detaine from vs.

The last exhortation was proper for the main­tenance of the ministerie, and this is inferent, and concluding the same, togither with an enforce­ment of doing good vnder hope of an answerable haruest in due season, if we tarry our time, and ex­pect his leysure, without wearines & fainting, be­ing bountifull, 1. While we haue time, 2. Gene­rally to al: 3. But specially to the faithful.

Couetousnes.The extreme couetous man keepeth his goods, and all is for himselfe. Auidis auidis natura parum est. Hee woulde faine reape, but hee dare not sow: and if he sowe, he so dealeth, as hee suppo­seth he may be sure to vndo another, and gain him­selfe. But blessed is the rich-man that is founde without blemish, that knoweth howe to doe good, and is not weary of wel doing. For it is good to ware old in this seruice of wel doing.

The Plato.Heathen man said it was a harder thing [...]: it was a harder matter to be good stil, than to be made good for a while. And for the speciall hinderāce in this wel doing, our sauior gi­ueth out this caueat: Take heed of couetousnes. Luk. 12.

Take heede, it assaulteth secretly, it entreth like a friend, it hath pretenses many, and faire, & as men drincke many times much at the first to quench their thirst, yet in drincking too much, and too often, the dropsie is engendred: so though at [Page 295] first a man take pains in the sweat of his browes. to maintaine himselfe and his, yet if hee looke not to it, this lawful paine at first, may end in a coue­tous desire to gaine ouer hastily, and to lay vp to purposes, hee shall neuer enioy, whereas a Penny wel gotten, and wel imploied is the grace of God, and wealth enough.

1 The first note was, that wee doe good in due season, and that while we haue time. For the life of man is a span long, & of smal continuance, we see it so, but where is he that considereth ther­of in such sort as he should?

The suddēnes & the certainty of death is known, but that know­ledge sleepeth in a man, and is not remembred to amend euerie man himselfe.In the booke of Genesis Genes. 5. it is repeated and re­peated again on this wise: al the daies that Adam liued, were nine hundred and thirty yeares: and he died: all the daies of Seth, were nine hundred and twelue years: and hee died. All the daies of Enos were nine hundred and fiue yeares: and hee died: and so foorth of others, and still though the daies were neuer so many, yet, and he died, was the conclusion of al.

It is strange the Scripture should so curious­ly inculcate a matter, whereof no man doubteth: why doth it tel vs that we know? We knowe that they are dead. And we see daily that men dy before our face, and our life is a vapor, a buble, a flash, a weauers shuttle &c.

In deede if in reading such like sentences to this effect, or going with a corse to the graue, or hearing the preacher beate vpon the immortality [Page 296] of man we assent thereunto: but when the remem­braunce of death should bee as it were the siue or searser to our owne, and of our owne actions, Om­nis illa assensio illabitur. Our former knowledge is quite forgotten. Yea euen when we see other men weake, sick or feeble and when we can thinke, and when wee can say of them, as they who ferrey on the tems, that the bote that goeth harde on the o­ther side by vs rideth swiftly, yet we dreame that our own barge standeth still as it were a shippe at anker, or that we passe verie slowly.

O Lord, while wee haue time, and the time is short, while we yet liue, and haue any being, which cannot bee long, for the life of man is not a perpe­tual light, but as the little candle, that is wasted with the winde, and blowen out with a puffe, or consumed after a while, O while wee haue time, let euery man conforme himselfe to some well do­ing. These [...]. after-wits were neuer good, that wil be wise when it is too late, that would enter when the dore is shut, that come to the faire when mar­ket is don, the Lord abhorreth the blind sacrifice, that cannot see the acceptable time, the halting sacrifice that is soone turned out of the way, & ne­uer commeth duely in a timely season.

Too much curi­ositie in giuing of an almes is not good.2 My second note was for the generalitie of doing wel. If thy right hand be extended to ma­ny, thy left hand must not draw it in. If thy clouds be ful, they may powre downe both vpon the ha­bitable, and inhabitable places: better loose an [Page 297] almes giuen to one that needeth it not, than to withholde thy mercy vppon suspicion where the neede is great, though for circumstances a man may be perswaded to the contrary.

An almes giuen to one in the name of a Pro­phet, though he be a counterfait, yet giuen vnder that forme, looseth not the reward: so a reliefe be­stowed as to a man as thou art, and to thine owne fleshe, is accepted of God, that made you both.

The times are not nowe that Israell must for­sake the land for famine, and go into Aegypt. The times are not as they haue beene, that men haue bin constrained to buy Pigeons-doung at a deare rate: the times are not, as when men haue eaten their own ordure, yea the mother her own child: the times are not, as when the Father, the Vncle, and the Son haue strouen for a rotten mouse, and when whole multitudes haue beene driuen to fry out moysture out of old leather. The times are not, as they haue beene in England, when bread was made of fearn-rootes, & as of late in Queene Maries time, commonly of Ackornes.

Notwithstanding, this yeare is a deare yeare, the multitude are needy, and their need is great. And therefore a large releefe, and a generall libe­rality is most requisit, and he that hideth his corn & will not giue, nay will not sel, is the curse of the people. But he that selleth reasonably, and giueth cherefully, blessing be vpō his head for euermore.

Good Zacheus when saluation came to his [Page 298] house, hee began to thinke whether hee had dealt hardly by wrong cauillation with any man, & of­fered to make quadriple recompence with the one halfe of his goods, & the other moity hee was con­tent franckly should be for the poore.

Halfe your goods in constituted cōmon-weals vnder christian dealings is not euer required, and the poore sort must bee no proud beggars. Ruth was content with peaze, Elias with a litle meale, Lazarus wished but a few crommes, and beggers must be no chusers. Yet in the booke of Ruth I note to the great commendation of Booz, that Booz seruantes when Ruth came at meale-time,Ruth. 2. and stood not like a saucy begger, but mannerly, beside the reapers, they gaue her plentifully, and she did eate, and was sufficed, and left. That the poore may eate and be sufficed, it is liberality: but to be sufficed, & to eat, & leaue, is great liberality.

A wanton pro­uerb amongst beggars.The diet then was but parcht corne. Our age is ouer nice. And broun bread breedeth melan­choly. But very neede must teach vs the parcy­mony and homelines of elder yeares: and yet if we could spare our impertinent attire, and our super­fluous fare, our country dearth were yet but a cheapnes, & our hospitality might be greater, our charity enlarged, our bodies more holesome, and our soules better accepted of God, that accepteth them that liue temperately, and in their tempe­rance consider the needy, and regarde the poore.

In this story I note one note more, that Booz [Page 299] tooke order that Ruth should bee liberally vsed, and yet he would haue her labour and gleane for that shee had. So (my brethren) if there were or­der taken that they who coulde woorke, and take paines, and if their paines would not fully suffice, then there might bee some supply by letting fall some sheaues of our plenty, some lone of mony, and some way else to further the labors of numbers which now goe vppe and downe idly, and of this idlenes there now commeth nothing, but innume­rable inconueniences: and thus much for the ge­nerality of relieuing.

2 It is the wise mans exhortation, cast thy bread vpon the waters. Eccle. 11. By bread may be ment the seed of bread, by casting may be ment sowing, and men when they sow, they sparse not all in one place, but they sowe with discretion: by waters some think is meant moist places, which in whote countries are most fruitfull. Some, by waters think are signified the sea, that on the very Sea, a man should not stick to venter his goods, and euen to ship them ouer to farre countries, to doe them good, and in the sight of God this trafique will be a very acceptable trade, and in the ende to thee ve­rie profitable. For though men maie thinke thy bread is cast away, and thy seede is lost, yet in the returne of time, thou shalt reape of thy liberalitie thy bozom ful. But I argue.

Must I cast my bread vpon the waters? If by waters the fruitfull ground bee ment, as the bo­zom [Page 300] of the poore, who euer is the fertill ground, so yet the case of the poore faithfull man is the most fertilest field of all others.

If it seeme that by the waters, I must helpe e­uen strangers that neede my help, that are far off and discluded by the Sea, then I reason; if I must doe good, which I denie not, euen to straungers, what must I do to the man that dwellech by mee, and to the poore Christian which perisheth vnder my nose, and in my sight? Must I care for the lilly of the field, and not for the lilly in my garden? Or must I feed the rauen, and starue the innocent and simple Doue? Or must I doe good to all, and not most specially to the houshold of faith, who most commonly needeth most, and deserueth best?

If garments must be variously cut out, accor­ding to the proportion, the persons be of, that must weare them, then verily greatest respect must bee taken of them whom the world hateth, and double care for the houshold of the poore faithful.

But if I speak my cōscience, I would it might affect, where I wish amendment. Of all men the poore professor is least set by, euen by them, whom yet I perswade my selfe are of the same housholde of faith. It is strange, but the common vsage hath made it no strange thing. This offensiuenes in en­tertaining the bad, and excluding the good, if it be to win them it is well, but in the sight of all men if it fode them vp in their follies, it is more than a folly. Thou canst not eate thy bread alone, neither [Page 301] doe: but let thy delight be in the releefe of them with whom thou shalt meete, and rest with in the land of the liuing.

For reforming of the Galathians and for their perfect enstruction Paul dealeth not by woord of mouth, but hee writeth vnto them and that a long letter euen with his owne hand.

1 The length of his letter declareth the largenes of his loue 2. With his owne hand, she­weth the certainty whence the letter came.

1 The mencioning of this length was not with a lawier-like entent to be paied by the lines which they lengthen of purpose, but as I saie of loue to affect them with the moe woords, whom a few woordes could not moue, hee willeth them to consider: you see how large a letter I haue drawn: as who wold say, were the matter of smal weight, and not your soules health, I might spare my la­bor and with more ease be vtterly silent, or at the least, much more briefe. But you see I am long. Wherefore consider thereof accordingly.

2 Pauls Letters were not onely long, but though they were long, and hee leasurelesse, yet he writeth al with his owne hand.

The Apostle was vnlike manie men in the world, who speak one thing and doe another: haue one thing in their tongue, and another thing in their hand: but as Sampson Iudg. 14.9. when he came to his [Page 302] father, he came with honny in his mouth, and hon­ny in his handes, so Paul hath the same doctrine sweeter than honny and the comb, as at first in his teaching, so now in his writing, and he putteth all downe vnder his owne hand.

In the second of Kings 2 King. 4.34. we read of the manner which the Prophet Elizeus vsed in restoring to life the Sunamits sonne. He sent his seruant with his staffe, and it would not be: wherefore hee com­meth himselfe, hee spreadeth the child abroad, hee putteth his mouth to the childs mouth, his eies v­pon his eies, and his hands vpon his hands, and he stretched himselfe vppon him, and the fleshe of the child wareth warme.

Paul in some resemblance taketh the like course, he spareth no pains, he sheweth all tender affection, and what doth he not to restore them to life, whom the false Apostles had euen wounded to death? He putteth his mouth to their mouth, he speaketh in their eares, hee spreadeth himselfe vppon them, he writeth a large letter, hee laieth it before their eies, and putteth his epistle into their hands, and he powreth this wholesome Doctrine into their sores: and because they should certainly knowe that the Phisicke came from himselfe, hee writeth all out with his own hand.

The false Apostles euen in Pauls time were growne to a wonderful impudency to broch their errors vnder the names of the true Apostles, and al others follow that deuise, as Manichaei (saith [Page 303] Austine)Contr. Faust. lib. 22. Cap. 8. legunt Scripturas Apochryphas, &c. The Motiue of Traditions and vnwritten verities. The Manichees read secret hidden Scriptures: cobled vp, I knowe not by whom, vnder the name of the Apostles. But our aduersaries at this day, as in part they tread the pathes of such their predecessors, so yet they haue a tricke also ouer and aboue, when they want forged wri­tings, they make vp their claim by vnwritten ve­rities, which they call Traditions.

You see this is an olde practise to fetch about, & to wind in men into their Aug. in Ioh. tract. 97. coulorable errors. Wherefore in great wisedome and like goodnes both in special for this Epistle, & likewise for the rest of the Scriptures, the Lord God prouiding for the Maiesty of his own worde, and entending the certaine saluation of the faithfull, would not commit that the foundation of faith shoulde bee grounded or depend only vpon the toungs of men, but himself spake from Heauen openly in his son, and inspired his Prophets of old, and afterwarde the Apostles to draw forth & write out his whole mind, to the end there might be an vndoubted Scripture, assuredly sufficient and able to make men perfect & complet in all good workes.

It is not denied but many things were doone by our Sauiour in the daies of his fleshe, manie things by the ancient prophets in ample and par­ticular manner not laide forth, yet that which is written was therefore writtē, because God knew what was sufficiently certaine to the attainment [Page 304] of a good beleefe, and through beleefe, to euer­lasting life. Secret Doctrines, vnwritten Tra­ditions and such stolne waters are sweet onely to corrupt tasts, and to men that will needes either be spirituall witches, or els be bewitched.

Paul hauing spoken of his owne affection to­ward them, speaketh now againe of their doing. As many as desire, &c. As many, ergo there were belike many. And no maruel if ruble be rife where precious stones are refused. In the multitude of these false teachers I marke, 1. Their vaine-glo­ry, and then 2. Their vaine feare.

Vaine glorie.1 Their vaine glory was to make a faire shew, that they, and who but they, were the con­uerters of so many, and so many prosilites. This is a shrewd affection, and it sauoreth of an Anti-Christian pride to sit in the consciences of men, to affect a Rabbinisme and a Masterdome in the Church of God, to desire to carry Disciples per­sonally after them, little caring if they set al on fi­er, so they may gather the ashes of their fond con­ceat, and make a flash of a foolish reioycing. And in this vanitie is alwaies through hypocrisie in­terlaced [Page 305] a shew as if themselues would performe that which they require of other, which in trueth they neither Act. 15 10.could nor Ioh. 7.19.did performe.

Vain feare.2 Againe, mark it, and lightly you shall find that the ambitious heade, hath a trembling heart there, where he should least fear.

If is a trueth, hee that looketh into his duety through the running water of an aspiring minde, or a timerous thought can neuer go vpright.

What is the cause that the trueth of Christ Iesus at this day amongst vs is so slowly embra­ced, and so coldly professed? What is the cause that in Gods causes, there are found so manie hares that run away, so many timerous hearts, and so fewe Lions of couragious stoutnes in the Lord? He that watcheth the wind wil neuer sow, hee that obserueth the cloudes will neuer mow. There is the cause, and this feare, I meane, the feare which is not of God, is alwayes the euill counseller.

But can you not chuse but feare? Then feare THE FEARE OF IACOB, the Lord of hostes and the God of heauen. If I bee your Lord, where is my Fear? Saith the Lord in the Prophet. Why feare yee the frouning face of frail man? His life is in his breath: and his breath is in his nostrils. Clauus clauum. Let the fear of God as the stronger pron driue out the fear of man as the weaker nail. It is a Proclamation in the booke of Iudges, Iudg. 7.3. that trembling minds and fearful harts should depart [Page 306] from the Lords camp.

The feare that troubleth many at this day, if we looke vpon things but with a mans ey, and if my simplenes beguile me not, euen that fear will beguile as many as so fear. And he that feareth a frost, shal bee couered with snow. But he who fea­reth the Lord, is a fenced tower. And come what come can, the momentany persecution in this mortall life is no way comparable to the life to come. Vaine hope & vain fear, are vain affections.

If the Machiuelian Pragmatique, the bold Iesuit, the busie priest could consider thus much, if the silly reede, and the vnstable soule, and the sim­ple subiect could conceaue this much, that there is no hope but in God, no feare but in and for the Lord, no trust in a single threed, no hope by villa­nies, no feare of trecheries, no harme from Ame­lec, no hurt from the proud Priest, I doubt not, & I knowe by vndoubted circumstaunces what I say; Recusantes which now are in respect of the truth, would then as resolutely many of them re­fuse many points of Popery, which now they em­brace, with litle adoe.

When I behold the state of Christendome at this day, so farre forth as a weake ey can ken and discerne, mee seemeth, I see the sight that Abra­ham saw in the mountain when he looked toward Sodom and Gomor, and saw nothing but smoke and fier.

Warres and rumors of wars, anguish and tri­bulations, [Page 307] such as haue not beene since the begin­ning, are the portion the end of the world must be prepared vnto.

Hitherto aboue desert and against the innume­rable instrumentes of Sathan and of the man of sinne, God hath defended vs, and his trueth, and shall we for a little cloud of fear or flash of fier for­sake the sincerity of his Gospell now? Suppose they should: I trust they shall not: for though wee bee sinners, they be diuels, but suppose they should kil our bodies, our soules they cannot kill. I hope they shal do neither if we faithfully fear and serue our God, and not them: But suppose they should preuaile against this temporal life of ours.

As in shooting sometimes, when the bowe is cut shortest, yea when the bow & bow-string break the arrow flyeth farthest, and winneth at length: so when the righteous is kept in the narrowest straits, when body and soule both break and part asunder, then is our God most glorified, the righ­teous proued, their patience tried, their faith expe­rienced, and their hope extended vnto, and their feare occupied about better matters.

Solon an heathen, beeing demaunded how hee durst so boldly resist the tyrant Pisistratus, aun­swered, fretus senectute mea. His olde age made him bold. And shal old age encourage an heathen man, and what shoulde the faieth of a Christian man doe, what should the diuine prouidence, and feare of the Lord effect in our hearts? Shall the [Page 308] corne feare the flaile, the goold the fier, the grape the presse? Et facere & pati fortia Christianum est. Shal any man be strong and stout, and shal not a Christian? Let vs consider Pauls example here­in.

The crosse of Christ. Paul maketh an open detestation against their vaine desire of reioycing in the flesh, and shew­eth wherein true ioy consisteth, not in a thwart cut of the flesh, but in the crosse of Christ, that is, in Christ crucified, and herein is true ioy. This is as Barnard speaketh musick to the eare, hon­nie to the tast, and a most good iubilie, and per­fect ioy to the mournful hart.

When our Sauiour suffered, we read that the sun was darckned, the earth moued, the powers of heauen and earth were shaken, the rock did riue asunder, the vaile was rent, and the graues were opē, & al things felt a sympathy & a compassion at the passion of Christ, and shal not man haue a fee­ling of these sufferings, for whom onely hee suffe­red [Page 309] them? Shal he not, should hee not mourne for these sins, that caused the son of God to take vpon him the shape of man, and the shame of the crosse?

And yet because he hath been crucified for our sins, and hath cancelled the hand-writing that was against vs, and hath triumphed euen on the crosse, wherein should Christians ioy and reioice, but in his conquest? And their greatest comfort is euen in the crosse of their redeemer, whereby Paul addeth that the whole woorlde is vnto him, and should be vnto vs, as a crucified thing, and that we againe are crucified to the world, that we may liue in him, who hath died for vs.

The effects of Christes passion.And this is the double effect of our Sauiours passion. 1. First to redeeme vs from sinne, death, and the world, 2. Then to reuiue vs in al goodnes that we may be newe creatures in him.

The redemption is perfect and was paid by Christ, in his owne person on the crosse, and re­steth vppon his proper discharge, in whome wee haue redemption through his blood, that is, the remission of our sins. Phil. 1.14. The life wee liue in Christ through the vertu of his passion, and operation of his spirit, whereby we are mortified to the world, hath not these degrees of perfection, because of the imperfection of the flesh, wherein wee yet are detained, the Law of our mindes beeing hindered by the frowardnesse of our members, and fette­ring vs somewhat in the waies of our full deliue­ry: but yet of our ful deliuery we neede not doubt. [Page 310] For as the prisoner being acquit at the bar, fee­leth the comfort of his release, and yet he must go backe to the prison, and then in expedient order of time his bolts shall bee knockt off, and hee per­fectly released: so wee albeit wee are pronounced quit by Christ, and the enditement bee cancelled, and the world, and al be crucified, and we in hart find the ioy thereof, yet in processe of time the perfection of our ioy is finished, and not by and by perfected.

And as they which are ransomed from the Turke, though the price be all paide, and they are sure it is so, and in part their bandes are taken from them, yet while they are in their iourney homeward, in remembraunce of this old captiui­ty, & for a submission al along as they go through the territories of the Turk, they are not without some kind of bonds or fetters: euen so while wee yet remaine in the vale of sinne, in the tabernacle of the body, and till wee can quite get out of the Turkes dominions: till this corruption shall put on incorruption in another woorlde, this present woorld is an hinderance, and an hampering, and a fettering vnto vs, but the nearer wee come to our owne countrey, the more wee take our leaue of the world, and in the end we relinquish all, and enter the perfect perfection of all perfections in Iesu Christ.

Verse 16. As manie (without distinction) as walke, and are directed according to this rule [Page 311] (which is) the Canon of the Gospell, and the scepter of Christ, Paul wisheth them mercy and peace, or signifieth vnto them that they haue the promises of peace & mercy, because they they are the Israel of God, for God is not the God of Isra­el according to the flesh, as the false Apostles bear them in hand, but according to the faith. For cir­cumcision auaileth nothing, neither yet is vncir­cumcision any thing, there is no difference in ey­ther. But the new creature in Christ is the Israel that preuaileth with God.

Circumcision.Circumcision was a couenant of righteousnes and a seale of faith, and a bond to doe al that God should command his people to do, & so he that was circumcis [...] was expresly afterwarde bound to the Law which God commanded. But as it was a couenant of righteousnesse, and of faith, so was their faith of a righteousnes in christ to come, and therefore because Christ is come, that fashion of the seale is dashed out, and the forme of righteous­nesse commeth by Christ that is to come, and to that ende is come, that hee might deliuer vs from the Law, and be the accomplishment of al in him­selfe, euen to all that beleeue in him thorough out al the woorld. But of this matter hath beene debated very often. To draw to an end.

There is no ende of wrangling, if a man will [Page 312] follow them who make no conscience what they say, or doe. For the whole matter, as of the pre­tences of Moses Law, of Abrahams name, of the people of Israel &c. enough hath beene debated, if any thing can bee enough, and namely diuerse times of circumcision, a marke which they labou­red vnfruitfully now vnder the Gospell to set in the flesh, wherein Paul opposeth the marks which were imprinted in himselfe, which hee calleth sig­nificantly the marks of the Lord Iesus. Whereof a word or two.

Neither pro­sperity nor ad­uersitie are the proper and ne­cessarie markes to discerne the trueth by.Since the first beginning, when I consider generally the Church of God; floting in the wa­ters, turmoiled in Aegypt, wandering in the wil­dernes, wasted with wars, destroied with corpo­ral plagues, and led into sundry captiuities, I be­gan, as Ruth after the haruest of Booz, so I after the labors of many others wiser than my selfe, to make these euentes, as certaine markes to know the Church by.

In special, when I looked vpon the murdering of Abel, the sale of Ioseph, the lake of Ieremy, the den of Daniel, the desert of Elias, and the like.

Vnder the new testament, when I beholde the pouerty of Bethlehem, where our Sauiour was borne, and therein the stable and manger where­in hee was laide, and so his exile ensuing, and like­wise the race he ran, hauing not any where to rest his head.

And since, til our time, for the first 300 yeares [Page 313] when I see the Church most afflicted with ty­ranny: the next 300. most infested with heresies, for 800. yeares following beseeged with aposta­cie: and the last 100, and od yeares abounding with swarmes of inconueniences, I began, as a­fore, so againe to make no reckoning of a flori­shing successe, in the cause of truth, and I reade it the better marke of the two to measure doctrine by the hard lotte of the true professor, than by the faire prosperity of the world affourded. Notwith­standing I would be loth to repute that as a spe­ciall marke of the sheepe of Christ, which may bee common to a company of Gotes, and may be not incident to the Church of Christ at some better seasons: Agar troubled Sara, but yet Sara tom­bled Agar out of doores: Ismael persecuted Isa­ack, but the bond brat had no part in the inheri­tance. And albeit there bee a farther learning in these ensamples of spiritual cōfort, yet they were also literally true and for the time trouble was v­pon the vngodly, and the godly for a season was not to be discerned by the marke of aduersity.

The aduersitie may be the same, but the cause being diuerse, doth distinguish the aduersity and maketh it sometimes a tast of farder pumshment, sometimes a monument of desert, and a recalling from sinne, sometime a triall of faith, an exercise of patience, an experience of hope, a duety of all men to endure al in expectation of better thinges purchased by Christs suffering, and laid vp in hea­uen [Page 314] whereinto a man must enter by many tribu­lations.

On the crosse there were three who suffered, a damned theefe, a saued soule, and the Sauiour of vs al. The penalty of the crosse was one to them al. But yet there was an incomparable difference in their persons.

The vnquiet man maie pur­chase a great deale of trouble to no purpose, but is he there­fore the wiser man?The flagellant Friar may whip himselfe, the whipping Iesuit may scourge himselfe, Baals Priestes may cut themselues, and others may be whipt, cut & scourged of others, & all these bee no marks that can make the cause good, but the good cause sanctifieth those markes that men inflict v­pon vs for righteousnes sake. Wherefore argue not of prosperity, for it is seldome found: neither yet argue of the markes of aduersity without dis­cretion, except your cause be as Pauls was, for though they be more common to most of the godly, yet they are not euer necessary, nor alwaies pro­per.

The entrance into this Epistle, was not hard, the end is easie, the middle hath beene as you haue heard, and al to set foorth the Grace of God which is almost the first and last woorde of the whole, wishing them, and euen to their spirites, a liue­ly feeling of his Grace, which quickneth the soule.

And heere, why shoulde I dilate, or driue and [Page 315] sleek out that, which is without pleats, and plaine in it selfe, and which hath beene laide open, more than once already? I know, the Lombar. Tho­mas Aqui. &c. Sarcerius in dict. scholasta. Pelbartus in Rosareo aureo. Schoole-men in steede of diuiding the various significations of this word (Grace) they break it into shiuers, and beat it into pouder, and neuer make an end.

In few and generally: Grace is no way Grace that is not euery way gratiously graunted and freely giuen: and it may bee offered, where it may be refused. But where God wil bestow it, it shalbe receaued.

Grace.In special, first the Grace of God is the fauor of the father. 2. The Grace of the spirit is the o­peration of the holy Ghost. 3. The grace of Christ is the merit of the sonne and the mystery of his passion. And these three go al together, and are neuer asunder.

And these three, brethren, beeing thoroughlie known and beleeued and laid to hart, in a full and certain assuraunce of the spirit, & not swimming in the quick conceat of an imagining head, and gliding vp and down in a slippery tongue, but felt in the soule, and setled by faith, in the inward fru­ition of the secret parts, what comfort work they not? They quiet the conscience, they pacifie the mind, they order the whole tenour of a Christian conuersation in euery good way. The feare of the Law, hath not these effectes. And therefore Paul especially wisheth the Galathians the Grace of Christ.

[Page 316] Ciuil salutatiō.It was an ancient custom among the Gentils to subscribe their letters with an ordinary wish: as of SAFETY and HEALTH &c. And wee Dion. Nicaeus in vita Ti­beri [...]. reade, that when Tiberius the emperour had re­ceaued letters from the Magistrates of Rhodes, and by some negligence, the customary subscrip­tion was omitted, hee sent for them, and caused them to set vnto their letters their vsuall wishes [...], and to subscribe their letters, as the vsage was.

Christian wishes.I note, (as meaning not to note any farther matter of dict, culty in this Epistle), that our A­postle, and so the rest of the Apostles (wisely ad­mitting the ciuil vsage of salutations, yet with some amendment, reducing all to the center and ground-work of all our doings, and deriuing all from the fiest head) he and they also wish Grace, Mercy, & Peace; Health, and Saluation. Health of Body, Saluation of Soule, and Safety of both, and that not at a-ventures they knowe not from whom, but certainly from the right spirite of all Grace, euen from God thorough Christ our Iesus and onely Sauiour.

And thus the Apostle endeth. And now (I hope with your good leaue) with this ende I may end and betake my selfe to a doubled charge nearer home and at home. My deare friends, and good Brethren of Abington, Fare you wel: I can but wish vnto you as to my selfe. O Lord and Graci­ous [Page 317] Father, let thine Apostle Pauls wish and prai­er take place among this people: The Grace of Christ Iesu be with you al, and with your spirit for euer more. Amen.